Impact & Prosperity Epicenter

A "nerve center" where social good and enterprise collide

A rendering of the front of the University of Utah Social Impact and Prosperity Center

Client
University of Utah
Location
Utah, United States
Size
235,000 square feet
Status
In Progress

The University of Utah's Impact & Prosperity Epicenter is a new type of academic building entirely, one that unites student housing, experiential spaces and entrepreneurial learning, all in the name of positive social impact. 

Designed by our Yazdani Studio team in association with MHTN Architects, the building is a "nerve center" to empower current and future generations of social impact practitioners to advance ideas that can change the world.

A rendering of the courtyard of the University of Utah Social Impact and Prosperity Center

Diverse students from all disciplines will be able to live in the building and the entire student population can use its first floor. The building will welcome impact investors, prosperity thought leaders, entrepreneurs, health professionals, policy experts, and applied researchers, to name just a few.

Etched into the "soul" of the Utah campus, this building is comprised of three key parts: 

  • Six floors of living spaces to house students driven by a passion to ignite positive change. 

  • Adjacent offices that headquarter two dynamic teams, the Center for Business, Health and Prosperity and the Sorenson Impact Institute.

  • These residential and professional communities all converge in the Forum, an intersectional space that unites building residents to work alongside experts from both centers in a true living-learning community.
An aerial rendering of the University of Utah Social Impact and Prosperity Center
A rendering of the west façade of the University of Utah Social Impact and Prosperity Center

The Center's first floor multipurpose forum will be an especially impactful space. Every University of Utah student can use the area for informal collaboration or to take part in formal programming that could include an impact and prosperity speaker series, solve-a-thons, purpose-driven socials, impact investing pitches, film screenings and more. 

The first floor also offers a dining facility that will include a varied international menu reflective of the diverse groups who will live and connect in the building.

Testimonials

  • We want to ensure our students have more than just a place to live. We want to create a living-learning community where students can engage with the transformational work of these centers, gain valuable experience, and use that experience to change the world around them. The Epicenter incorporates all elements of our vision to inspire, innovate, and impact.

    Taylor Randall President, University of Utah

Ultimately, the Social Impact and Prosperity Center builds on an innovation ecosystem at the university. The building will equip students with the knowledge, experience and vision required to reshape our world for the better.

It is the second of three buildings we have been fortunate to design in partnership with the University of Utah. The others include Lassonde Studios and the forthcoming Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine.

A rendering of the University of Utah Social Impact and Prosperity Center at night

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