A major goal of the main CVAD building, completed in 2018, was to bring the majority of departments and programs, once widely dispersed, back under one roof and reestablish the Arts Building as a clearly identified home for the College of Visual Arts and Design. Although the main building greatly improved CVAD’s community, the new building’s size and budget were not able to accommodate all of CVAD’s program. Two of these unaccommodated programs are CVAD’s Ceramics and Graduate Studies programs. In 2019, UNT selected Machado Silvetti, in association with VAI, to return to campus to design a facility near to the main CVAD building to house these programs.

Machado Silvetti studied nearby site and massing options for the new facility, going on to design a purpose-built facility for the Graduate Studies and Ceramics programs. It was recognized, from the conception of this project, that the new building must closely correspond, through location and image, to the main CVAD building to ensure that students retain a sense of connectivity throughout both facilities. Building on the initial visions and goals outlined in the main CVAD building, this new facility will “support areas of expertise and improve core operations while providing opportunities for creative ideas, interactions and possibilities.”