Walsh Family Hall
The Matthew and Joyce Walsh Family School of Architecture
Since 2018, the Matthew and Joyce Walsh Family Hall of Architecture has been home to the Notre Dame School of Architecture, embodying the mission to educate architects and urbanists who design and build for both current needs and future generations.
Designed by John Simpson, a leading practitioner of New Classicism and New Urbanism, the building reflects the unique character of our architecture program while contributing to the harmony of other buildings on campus.
Authentic sustainability is a cornerstone of the School’s curriculum - buildings must be made to last hundreds of years, not merely decades. New products and technology are only a small part of true sustainability, which begins with the design process and draws from lessons of the past related to durable construction as well as natural ventilation and lighting.
Walsh Family Hall emphasizes architectural character, long-term sustainability, and energy conservation. Its design features effective water and snow shedding, cornices, and eaves that exemplify the construction techniques taught in our studios and classrooms. Energy conservation is achieved with narrow floor plates that allow natural light to reach all habitable spaces, and operable windows to facilitate air circulation.
The interiors are designed to be durable with plain concrete floors, concrete block walls, and exposed ceilings in studios, laboratories, classrooms, and public circulation areas. The main lobby, hall of casts, auditoriums, and library feature more ceremonially appropriate architectural articulation. The plaza fosters a sense of community within the architecture school.
Located east of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and north of the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, Walsh Family Hall is a part of the ever growing arts district on campus. This district is a principal gateway to campus and is within walking distance of the Eddy Street Commons area, a successful example of mixed-use traditional urban development in South Bend.
The building was made possible through a generous gift from Matthew and Joyce Walsh of Burr Ridge, Illinois, who have served on the School of Architecture advisory council since 1997, with Matthew Walsh chairing the council since 2004.
