A FAB new home for creativity, collaboration and career readiness at Texas Christian University

For more than two decades, CannonDesign has partnered with TCU to help shape a campus environment that supports changing approaches to education, student life and community engagement. Throughout this ongoing relationship, each project has contributed to a broader long-term vision for the university’s future. The FAB continues with that approach, supporting TCU students who are pursuing creative professions. 

In a recent video featuring TCU leadership and CannonDesign leaders, Patricia Bou, AIA, LEED AP, Education Practice Director at CannonDesign, described the shared vision behind many parts of the campus: “This is about creating places and spaces that leave you with a feeling, more than a specific tangible thing that happened. It’s because of the connectivity of large and small spaces, things that happen that are loud and expansive and then they are knit together by little, smaller pockets where you can have a more intimate experience.”  

Preparing students for the creative professions of today 

For TCU leadership and the College of Fine Arts, workplace readiness became a central driver throughout the planning process of the FAB. The goal was not simply to renovate classrooms or build new studio spaces, but to create an environment that successfully mirrored the collaborative and interdisciplinary realities of today’s creative industries.

Rather than separating disciplines, the building encourages overlap between programs, exposing students to different creative processes and perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach is especially important as employers seek graduates who are adaptable, collaborative and comfortable working across multiple areas of expertise. 

The university's focus on professional preparation extends beyond the building itself. Amy Hardison Tully, the Teresa Ann Carter King Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Professor of Music, noted that both design and fashion students complete required internships between their junior and senior years.

Reconnecting a previously disconnected program 

Before the renovation, TCU’s interior design and fashion merchandising programs were housed in an aging retail building on the edge of campus, physically separated from the rest of the College of Fine Arts. That disconnect created challenges for collaboration across programs, making it difficult for students to feel fully connected to the larger creative community. 

Carrie Franklin, Director of Strategic Operations and Fine Arts Facilities, and Amy Tully, shared that the Fine Arts Building “was intentionally designed to unite academic programs while supporting interdisciplinary learning, student growth and professional development across the college.” 

What was once a fragmented academic experience has evolved into a centralized creative hub where students regularly share ideas, work alongside peers from other disciplines and engage more directly with faculty.  

Designing the FAB  

Faculty, staff and students played an active role throughout the planning and design process of the now 30,000 square-foot facility. David Elizalde, Chair of the Department of Design, explained that many of the building’s specialized spaces were developed directly in response to departmental feedback and student input. 

The facility includes the FAB Lab, photography studios, apparel construction laboratories, exhibition spaces and open studio environments organized around highly visible circulation spaces that encourage further interaction between programs. Transparent maker spaces and publicly displayed student works allow creative processes to become part of the everyday experience of that building.  

Charles Freeman, Chair of the Department of Fashion Merchandising, noted that the building’s flexibility has become increasingly valuable as creative industries continue to evolve. Students engage with coursework ranging from traditional garment construction to emerging areas such as textile innovation within adaptable spaces designed to accommodate changing modes of industry practice.  

Daylight-filled common areas and open sightlines throughout the building create a sense of energy and visibility that extends beyond scheduled class time. “The impressive building reflects the quality of our programs and provides a wonderful space for instruction, community building, and connection,” stated Janace Bubonia, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts.  

Strengthening connections beyond campus  

As collaboration within the College of Fine Arts expanded, so did opportunities beyond the university itself. Charles Freeman shared that the facility has strengthened the university's ability to host industry partners, alumni and prospective students, creating new opportunities for networking and professional visibility. 

In that way, the building serves not only as an academic facility, but also as a platform for storytelling, highlighting student work, fostering industry engagement and strengthening relationships between the university and the creative professions that students hope to enter one day. 

A building that continues to evolve 

A few years after opening, the Fine Arts Building continues to evolve alongside the students and programs it supports. Faculty and university leadership have found that its flexible and modular environments encourage creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation in ways more traditional classroom models often cannot. 

By prioritizing adaptability, professional preparation and human connection, the Fine Arts Building reflects a broader shift in how universities are shaping the future of creative education. The FAB has become a visible expression of how design can foster curiosity, strengthen community and prepare students to confidently enter an increasingly collaborative and evolving professional world.