Inside Clemson University’s new Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center

Featured in Spaces4Learning by Marc Warren, AIA, LEED AP BD+C – Executive Vice President, Architecture, Goodwyn Mills Cawood and Don Zimmerman III, PE, CEM, Division Manager – South Carolina, RMF Engineering

Clemson University’s Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center serves as the new front door to campus, anchoring the Tiger experience through each step in the student journey.

Creating a shared destination point for first-time visitors and returning alumni alike, the 102,450-square-foot building brings together under one roof the Admissions & Visitors Center, Career Center for Professional Development, Clemson Alumni Association, Development Office, the Clemson University Foundation, and the Board of Trustees Staff Offices, as well as the Clark Family Pro-Shop for the Walker Golf Course and the Lucky Duck Bistro, a full service restaurant. Its location, adjacent to the Clyde V. Madren Conference Center, John E. Walker Sr. Golf Course, and the nearby Martin Inn, puts it at the heart of the Tiger community —  past, present, and future.

Through thoughtful architectural and strategic engineering design, the Alumni and Visitors Center stands as both the first and lasting impression of Clemson University.

A Multipurpose Space for a Multifaceted Campus

Goodwyn Mills Cawood, in partnership with Cooper Carry, designed the Alumni and Visitors Center to complement its context and work naturally with its surrounding landscapes.

The careful consideration of the building’s visual and physical impact, from its proportions to its energy footprint, reflects the project team’s collective commitment to stewardship. This broader intention also supported Clemson’s pursuit of Green Globes certification, which recognizes sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for their use of design, construction, and operational practices to enhance performance, improve occupant wellness, and provide community benefit.

Creating Pathways to Success – Starting with the MEP

RMF Engineering oversaw the incorporation of the Alumni and Visitors Center’s MEP/FP systems, maintaining the integrity of Goodwyn Mills Cawood’s design — particularly in the double-height lobby — while navigating the small duct sizes and minimal routing options to distribute air, power, and fire protection. Most importantly, nothing could touch the cross-laminated timber so that the true nature of the material could be expressed and celebrated.

Infrastructure Designed for an Evolving Campus

Despite the substantial HVAC savings achieved through its design, the Alumni and Visitors Center’s significant size presented the opportunity to replace the large, loud cooling tower that was on the site previously with a new chilled water plant for greater cooling capacity.

Located in the multipurpose service yard between the building and the Madren Conference Center, the plant was designed with two chillers to support the Alumni and Visitors Center initially, with space to add a third chiller to the series to eventually serve both buildings. The equipment is concealed behind a low screen wall to maintain the aesthetics of the architectural design, linked to further back-of-house areas for the Conference Center, such as a loading dock for a new commercial kitchen.

This element of the project lays the foundation of necessary infrastructure for Clemson’s continued ability to host, entertain, recruit, and retain generations of Tigers to come.

Conclusion

The completion of Clemson’s new Nieri Family Alumni and Visitors Center marks an important milestone in university history, facilitating collaboration between departments and fostering connections between students and alumni in a single location for the first time.

“Goodwyn Mills Cawood and RMF Engineering’s design teams delivered on the project’s goals to create a sustainable and comfortable facility that will be welcoming to Tigers of all ages for decades. The entire project team should be commended for their efforts,” said Mike Davis, Associate Director of Facilities Planning & Management at Clemson University.

Celebrated by an official ribbon cutting ceremony on April 25, 2025, the opening of the new Center brings Tiger pride to life in a whole new way for many lifetimes to come.