Mitchell Giurgola worked with Barnard College to transform the first floor and lower levels of Barnard Hall into the new Francine A. Lefrak Center for Well-Being and a new flexible use auditorium. Barnard College was founded in 1889 and provides a collaborative liberal arts setting dedicated to the advancement of women. The new Center consists of approximately 20,000 SF of program space in the existing Barnard Hall focused around three critical pillars of well-being: Physical, Mental and Financial. About 6,000 SF of additional space will be converted into a new auditorium, support spaces, and circulation for theatrical and academic use.

The new Center for Well-Being will house fitness and dance studios, a café, locker rooms, office and meeting spaces to help promote financial literacy and mental wellness for the Barnard student population. The Center will have a strong identity from the main entry of Barnard Hall and from the revitalized north corner entry. A new, open communicating stair will augment the two existing stairs and provide a direct connection between the first and lower levels of the Center.