60 for 60: The Hofmann Center: A Place to Gather

When the Hofmann Center opened in 2006, it marked a turning point for De La Salle High School. More than just a new building, it created something the campus had long been missing: a true gathering place for the entire school community.

Before the Hofmann Center, student lunches took place in a much smaller cafeteria located in what is now the Ladouceur Athletic Performance Center. Former Chief Financial Officer and Project Manager Marilyn Gardner remembers it vividly. “That was the cafeteria, and it was truly awful. It was really a bad place. It was kind of creepy in there.”

The old space was cramped and limited, unable to comfortably serve a growing student body. It also couldn’t accommodate the broader life of the school; the liturgies, assemblies, and community gatherings that are central to a Lasallian education.

That changed when the Hofmann Center opened its doors. “Because we now had a gathering place. We had no gathering place before. The theater can’t have all the students. Even the old cafeteria, you couldn’t really fit all the students in it.”

Suddenly, De La Salle had a welcoming, central space where the entire community could come together. On any given day, hundreds of students fill the building sharing meals, catching up with friends, or gathering before school, at break, and during lunch time.

For Gardner, improving the quality of food and the dining environment was an important priority.

“I happen to love cooking and eating healthy food, so I would just be appalled by some of the food that came out of that old cafeteria and said, ‘We’ve got to be feeding our kids better.’” And we do. When the Hofmann was built, food service was brought in-house and began being made from scratch daily by a full kitchen staff. 

Today, the Hofmann Center is a daily hub of campus life. Students enjoy nutritious meals, faculty and staff gather for meetings and professional development, and the space frequently transforms for major school events. From all-school liturgies and assemblies to beloved traditions like the annual Crab Feed and Auction, the building serves as a backdrop for countless shared moments.

“Liturgies, meetings, a place even for faculty staff to gather during professional days… we’ve had Christmas parties in there, so many things beyond academics.”

The Hofmann Center also houses the De La Salle bookstore and played a role in distributing textbooks to students over the years, yet another way it supports the daily rhythm of school life.

Beyond its functional role, the building also helped shape the future look of the campus. It was the first project completed after De La Salle developed a comprehensive campus master plan in the early 2000s with Radcliffe Architects.

“The first building that happened, once that was approved, was the Hoffman Center in 2006.”

That master plan envisioned a more welcoming entrance to campus along Winton Drive. Gardner describes the design concept as a “hug,” buildings arranged in a way that embraces visitors as they arrive.

“The idea was to make a welcoming area, like you’re going to hug people coming into campus. And the Hoffman came as part of that hug.”

The building is named in honor of Ken Hofmann, a longtime and deeply influential supporter of De La Salle. While his name appears on just this one building, Hofmann’s impact extends far beyond it. Through his generosity and leadership in fundraising efforts, he helped make possible many of the campus improvements in the many years before and after the Hofmann Center was built. Much of the campus students experience today exists because of his belief in the mission of De La Salle and his commitment to its future. The school community remains profoundly grateful to the Hofmann family for the lasting role they have played in shaping De La Salle.

Because of its prominent location, the Hofmann Center is one of the first buildings visitors see when entering De La Salle. Its open design and inviting presence set the tone for the campus beyond it. A place rooted in community, hospitality, and shared purpose.

Nearly two decades later, the Hofmann Center remains one of the most vibrant spaces on campus. It’s where students share meals, gather with friends, celebrate traditions, and come together in faith as a community. Day after day, it continues to serve the purpose it was built for: bringing the De La Salle community together.