In 2020, a new addition to the LSA Building was completed. Around the “back” side of the building facing away from State Street, you can now find a large glass structure affixed to the outer wall of the building. All features of the back wall, including the beautiful sculpted ornamentation by Marshall Fredericks, remain intact but are now enclosed within the metal frame and glass windows of this new addition. The main portion of the addition is a large, open study space, with ample natural light from the numerous windows. The purpose of this new space, dubbed the “LSA Opportunity Hub,” is to connect students with future employers or internships, as well as broaden their understanding of opportunities for advancement during and after college. Thus, in addition to the large glass study space, the addition contains twelve interview rooms and additional larger spaces for meetings or collaborative projects. When describing the addition, LSA Dean Andrew D. Martin claimed, “The Hub will become an integral part of students’ experiences at the College from the moment they arrive on campus.” 

This emphasis on collaboration and community is something both designers of the space cite in their mission statements and values. The first of the two firms that designed the addition, SmithGroupJJR, has extensive experience working on college campuses. They previously worked on the Biological Sciences Building at the University, which opened to the public around a year before the Hub. The BSB project also focused on creating new, open, transparent spaces for students to work and interact. The Hub incorporates similar aesthetic decisions to both this project and the original LSA Building, focusing on vertical design and large glass structures. The other designer of the Hub, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, has similarly substantial experience working with universities. The windows of the addition bear a striking resemblance to those of ANSYS Hall at Carnegie Melon University, a building designed by BCJ that finished construction around the same time as the Hub. Both buildings feature large glass window panes, broken up by tall round pillars, that encourage public viewing of student collaboration.