Art and Design Building

George Mason University’s Art and Design Building is a signature destination for the visual arts on campus, providing students with a diverse mix of studios, classrooms, and creative spaces within an 88,900-square-foot facility. The three-story building houses dedicated studios for painting, drawing, digital arts, graphic design, sculpture, photography, and printmaking, along with a large public gallery, a lecture hall, a student lounge, and a café.

A Light-Filled, Flexible Environment for Creativity

Designed as a major component of Mason’s Creative Quadrangle, the building embraces natural light and openness. A central open stair and generous glazing create visual connections across disciplines, fostering collaboration and inspiration throughout the building.

The exterior façade is demountable—allowing for future expansion—while also serving as a frame for displaying student and faculty artwork, reinforcing the building’s role as both an academic and cultural venue.

Engineering Systems Supporting Diverse and Specialized Art Studios

Mueller designed mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems that support the building’s diverse studio environments and creative processes. The building is served by the campus’s chilled water and high-temperature heating water systems, which feed variable air volume custom air-handling units located in a rooftop penthouse. These systems deliver stable temperature and humidity conditions, essential for both occupant comfort and the preservation of art materials.

High-plume exhaust fans safely discharge air from art studios and fabrication spaces—including paint, printmaking, and sculpture areas—ensuring proper ventilation and occupant safety. A main switchboard and standby generator provide robust electrical service, while a central lighting system incorporates specialty fixtures tailored for gallery spaces and studio work.

The Art and Design Building supports interdisciplinary exploration while providing the environmental stability, ventilation, and lighting infrastructure required for high-quality art instruction and production. It stands as a cornerstone of George Mason University’s creative academic environment and a celebrated facility within the university’s arts precinct.