Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi: Decorative Glass as a Source of Campus Pride

The Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is one of the area’s premier university’s, offering a broad range of educational programs to more than 11,500 students. The school is also referred to as “The Island University”, due to it’s unique location on an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Students are attracted to the university for it’s location and warm climate, but also because of it’s strong academic reputation, diverse learning opportunities, and inviting campus culture.

The university strives to make the campus an inviting place for students, and is always looking to improve the campus experience. In 2014, the new Islander Dining Hall was opened, located near the center of campus and adjacent to the new residence halls. Designed by Kirksey Architecture, the goal of the new dining hall was “to create a unique gathering space and destination that served as a focal point for students…facilitating healthy student life within the center of campus” says Kirksey’s Senior Associate, Emily Winters. The team also felt it was important to capture and incorporate the unique island location into the design, a concept that is an integral part of the university’s culture.

To achieve these goals, Kirksey Architecture utilized materials and imagery that embodied the spirit of the island and reflected the coastal environment. One key feature of the dining hall is the spectacular decorative glass panels that were used to showcase the university’s iconic logo, an abstract wave image. Goldray Glass created the decorative glass panels using our Digital Ceramic Printing process, which applies ceramic ink directly onto glass similar to the way that an inkjet printer prints onto paper. Emily explains why decorative glass was ideal for this project, “Using decorative glass, we were able to display the image, while still allowing for light to enter the space and provide a view out to campus…then to top it off, it is very durable and will last a lifetime”.

In developing this piece, Kirksey Architecture wanted to make sure the right level of transparency was achieved and that the blue tones correctly matched the school colors. To attain this, Goldray matched the glass samples to true Pantone colors and worked closely with the design team to develop several samples before finding the perfect selection. Once complete, the space is a source of great pride for the university, providing students with a place to gather and socialize while enjoying an array of healthy meal options, right on campus.

Goldray Glass believes that every building deserves to be beautiful and we enjoy working directly with the design teams to turn their vision into a reality. We would like to thank our sales representative Gloria Johnson , the glazing contractor Evins Glass Service, Kirksey Architecture, and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi for making this project possible.