Brick By Brick: Building Smeal College's Future

Brick By Brick: Building Smeal College's Future

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA--Robert A.M. Stern Architects, in association with Bower Lewis Thrower Architects, were selected to design the new home for business education at University Park.

"The firms bring to this project a stellar international reputation, renowned architectural talents, and extensive experience in designing premier business school facilities worldwide. We are privileged to have attracted such a design team," says Judy Olian, Dean of Penn State's Smeal College of Business.

The New York-based Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) is a 140-person firm of architects, landscape architects, interior designers and support staff. Robert A.M. Stern is the Dean of the Yale School of Architecture, and a leading intellectual on spatial design. He is also founder and senior partner of the firm, as well as a practicing architect, teacher, and writer. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and received the Medal of Honor from its New York Chapter in 1984.

The Smeal College of Business is one of the largest academic units across the University. However, space for students and faculty is at a premium. Undergraduate classes for business students currently are spread across a half-dozen campus buildings, and learning spaces in the existing Business Administration Building will have difficulty staying abreast of the rapid developments in technology, as they affect business.

Among the features planned for the new Business Building are classrooms, specialized instructional studios, research laboratories, team study rooms, faculty and graduate student offices, an auditorium, interview rooms, executive space for visiting experts, and administrative offices. It will offer large common areas that foster meeting spaces among faculty, students and visitors, and trigger discussion across disciplinary boundaries to mirror developments in the business world.

"In sum, the building will set a new standard for business schools that stretches the learning experiences of our students, mirrors our strategy around the converging economies, and evokes a collective pride in business at Penn State," said Olian.

At an estimated 210,000 square feet, the Business Building is projected to be the largest academic building on the University Park campus and one of the largest business school complexes in the nation. The Smeal College enrolls more than 6,000 students at all levels. A signature location has been selected for this new building. Located on the corner of Park Avenue and Shortlidge Road and directly across the street from the entrance to the Schreyer House - the University President's residence -and the planned Penn State Arboretum, the building will add 55,000 square feet of academic space for business programs, increasing space available for business students, faculty, and partners by 35 percent.

Plans call for the Auditorium, Trading Room, Auctions Market Lab, and E-Incubator Lab to be located within the common areas to showcase state-of-the-art teaching, research, and outreach. The MBA and undergraduate areas reside in distinct spaces. There are also several common facilities to encourage a sense of community for students enrolled in those programs. Faculty and business research areas will be located in close proximity to the executive, leadership, and administrative areas to encourage dialogue among all faculty groups, research centers, and external constituents including business partners, alumni, and friends.

Penn State's five-year capital improvement plan calls for a $60 million Business Building, financed by $35 million in University funds and $25 million in private support. Completion is scheduled before the fall of 2005.