Before a line was ever drawn on the drafting table, architects
of the Lillis Business Complex considered the flow and patterns
of interaction needed to facilitate the cutting-edge curriculum
of the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business.
Planning began with needs assessments, focus groups, and interviews
from faculty and student groups. SRG Partnership, the Portland-based
architecture firm selected to design the building, soon realized
that the challenge before them was to create a building that facilitated
the curriculum of the Lundquist College of Business.
It became obvious that the college's innovative approach to business
education needed architecturally innovative solutions. The design
that emerged from this process was a direct outgrowth of the Lundquist
College's educational philosophy-an entrepreneurial, hands-on curriculum
that brings technology, team projects and real-world business experience
together inside and outside the classroom.
"The Lillis Business Complex will be nationally prominent
as an academic teaching facility created to directly support the
educational philosophy and curriculum of a business school,"
said SRG's Design Principal Kent Duffy. "An extension of the
curriculum, the architecture of the building actually enhances the
educational mission of the college."
Spaces business students regularly seek out are located directly
off the atrium forming the building's nucleus. The Career Services
Center including professional interview offices is the focal point
on the second floor. On the third floor student Learning Centers
are strategically located to promote cross-discipline learning and
communication. Each of the six Learning Centers will have a resource
room or library and a small group study room. These shared spaces,
called "huddle zones" in the corporate world, cluster
student resources, study areas and faculty offices together around
particular disciplines.
Tiered caserooms will enhance and accommodate experiential learning
with small-group breakout capabilities. Each caseroom will mirror
the college's emphasis on teamwork and collaborative casework by
allowing teams to form efficiently within the lecture space. Mockups
of caserooms were designed and fine tuned by conducting actual classes
in the space and incorporating the feedback of students and faculty
members.
To support cutting-edge technology wireless Internet access will
be available throughout the building. In addition the facility will
provide students and faculty with state-of-the-art multimedia presentation
equipment and a distance-learning classroom with teleconferencing
capabilities.
"The creative architectural design of the building with its
purposeful space configurations will provide our students with a
facility that will impact and enhance their education," said
Dean Philip Romero. "Complementing our vision and educational
philosophy, the Lillis Business Complex will increase our ability
to attract and retain some of the nation's best faculty and students."
