In the Fall of 2008 the students of ARCH 401 were presented with a semester-long design challenge. The culmination of the semester would be a competition sponsored by Cripe Architects + Engineers, a firm from Indianapolis, in which a jury of local practitioners would evaluate the design solutions. The proposed project was a new building on campus: The Ball State University Center for the Environment. The building would be located between the existing Teachers College and Arts/Journalism buildings along McKinley Avenue. As a Center for the Environment, the implementation of sustainable practices would be a significant focus in the design. Another challenging aspect of the design was the location between two existing buildings and the opportunity to continue the interior street which weaves through other buildings along McKinley Avenue.