College marks a pivotal transitional time in a student’s life, and their first steps into this new adventure are vital. Perched high on a hill at the center of the Bellevue College campus, the Bellevue College Student Success Center serves as both a trailhead and a roadmap for students embarking on their educational journeys—a place for guidance, reflection, and celebration of their achievements. Spanning 71,462 square feet, this ground-up, progressive design-build project mirrors the student experience. Entry services are situated on the first floor, student support services on the second, and spaces dedicated to celebrating student success on the top floor. Our team collaborated closely with representatives from the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) through rigorous value engineering processes, addressing topographical challenges and management changes. By engaging with Bellevue College’s stakeholders, we effectively drove the design while adhering to project goals, budget, quality, and timelines, and we are on track to achieve LEED Silver certification. The Student Success Center stands as a gateway for visitors entering through the main campus gate. Unlike other buildings that blend into the landscape, this Center is prominently positioned on a sloping site, featuring separate entrances at either end. Its design encourages elements of nature to flow through the building, enhancing the connection to the environment. Strategically located at the campus’s core, the Center aligns with the campus master plan, promoting pedestrian circulation. The layout inherently reinforces the metaphor of a student’s ascent through their academic journey, with each level dedicated to a specific stage: entry services on the first floor, student support on the second, and spaces celebrating student success on the top floor. The exterior massing reflects this programmatic organization, with a glazed, transparent facade that showcases the most active uses within.