A “Teaching Hospital” for Journalism

Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism building was developed in partnership with the City of Phoenix, and is the first ground-up facility built on the ASU Downtown Campus; taking cues from, and energizing the community in which it resides. The building is also home to Arizona PBS Affiliate KAET-TV, which is operated by the Cronkite School, facilitating the integration of student learning and live newsroom environments much like the “teaching hospital” model of medical education.

Innovative design features include:

• State-of-the-art TV studios and control rooms, digital TV newsrooms, an advanced multi-platform newsroom and more than 50 digital editing bays where students and veteran journalists/faculty come together to develop and broadcast programming for 1.9 million Arizona PBS viewers.
• A large central atrium serving as an informal gathering space for the School of Journalism’s academic community, as well as a community forum for public lectures and presentations on media-related issues.
• Highly-mediated auditorium, computer teaching theater and classroom spaces that support enhanced, technology-rich learning experiences.
• Student Services Center with a reading room and interview spaces for internship and job prospects.
• Ground floor retail spaces on Central Avenue and 1st Street provide shaded arcades that invite outdoor seating and café life, and facilitate pedestrian connection to Taylor Street Mall, as well as the larger downtown community.
• The team delivered the project via an Integrated Design Process (IDP) to meet a highly accelerated design and construction schedule. No change orders were issued; a stunning result saving the client money and accommodating ASU's academic calendar.

This project was completed with Sundt Construction and Ehrlich Architects.