Duke wins awards for West Campus landscape and Rubenstein Arts Center architecture

Duke recently won a couple national awards for its landscape architecture and building design.

The Society for College and University Planning honored the "West Campus Precinct," an 11-acre area that includes Abele Quad, with the 2018 “Excellence in Landscape Architecture for General Design” award. The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design also awarded “The American Architecture Award for 2018” to the Rubenstein Arts Center, which opened in February.

In its review, SCUP highlighted various aspects of the West Campus expanse, such as the pedestrian bridge and "beautiful and highly used student activity spaces."

Jury comments included, “it has really been transformed into a very usable and popular space," and "the space in the back is structured with different levels of bridges, plazas, and squares—but they make you want to be on all of the heights." 

SCUP honored the West Campus Plaza with the same award in 2010. 

The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design judges noted they were especially impressed by the Rubenstein Art Center's 200 seat Von der Heyden Studio Theater, "the glassy Dance Cube" on the second floor and the 100 seat film screening room, according to the CAMAD website. 

“Duke [has] done a great job integrating stunning architecture with open spaces that students can [use to] socialize, collaborate, and learn. Duke’s architecture and the vibe that the campus provides is one of the reasons I chose to come,” said junior Cindy Pan.