Clemson University Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY W ilbu r O. and An n Powe r s C ol le ge o f B us i ne s s

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY A business school is a future-focused proposition.

Students in business programs are emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, strategists, and problem solvers; their education needs to prepare them for collaboration on an interpersonal, organizational, and global scale.

Clemson University wanted to build a new business school facility that would reflect this new paradigm, with leading-edge spaces designed for an evolving future. The proposed site for this

contemporary

however,

was

building,

rooted

in

campus history. The building, the first academic structure in this part of campus in over

L e adi ng-e dge spac e s de si gne d fo r an evol vi ng fu tu re .

a century, would front historic Bowman Field. This field was the site of the University’s first athletic event (a baseball game against Furman University in 1896), and had long served as a campus anchor hosting events from intercollegiate sports to campus social activities.

Any interventions in that context require extreme care.

LMN, a Seattle-based architecture firm with a deep portfolio of business school designs, teamed with architecture, interiors, and planning firm LS3P to design the solution.

CELEBRATING THE PAST, LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE Good stewardship of this hallowed campus site was a foundational requirement, but the University wanted to accomplish several other important goals. As the first academic building in the new North Precinct of the campus, the building presented the opportunity to define a new campus gateway and strengthen the “town and gown” connection with the city. For the College, the project was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to envision a new home for its programs, one that would serve its students and faculty well into the future. The building needed to be flexible enough to accommodate changes in technology or pedagogy over time, provide spaces for a variety of teaching and learning modalities, and look forward to the future while honoring the past. Perhaps the Dean’s overarching goal was the most important in driving the design: to build a place that students wouldn’t want to leave.

ENJOYING THE CLIMB The site had one more notable attribute: a steep 40’ grade between Bowman Field and the Douthit Hills student residence halls above. The hill became the project’s greatest challenge, and also its greatest asset. The design team capitalized on the dramatic topography and envisioned the hill climb as a defining project feature, akin to Rome’s beloved Spanish Steps. The buildings’ form – a larger volume canted to align with the hill connected to a linear bar via a below-stair passagway– frames the terraced exterior stair and plazas.

REIMAGINING THE HILL The materiality of the design mirrors the hill itself, with grounded concrete elements and earthy tiles forming a metaphorical retaining wall at ground level transitioning to light, airy, upwardreaching materials as the building rises. A veil of white vertical slats in the atrium draws the eye skyward. A monumental interior stair parallels the hill climb, inviting students into the building at various levels as they traverse the hill.

The form and detailing engage the datum set by the massing of the student residences above.

The processional sequence leads students from the lower plaza through terraced informal gathering spaces to the Douthit Hills promenade at the top, knitting together residential, academic, and social spaces. The terraces weave in and out of the interior program areas as well to reinforce the physical connection to the topography, and the hill climb within the expansive central atrium echoes the external procession.

CONNECTED SPACES The building takes a deep dive into the bioclimatic region to work with prevailing winds, harvest maximum daylight for wellness, and shield itself from severe storms. Landscape and solar carving in the first three levels provide much-needed daylight into diagnostic areas that are typically dark. The stairtop garden provides habitat for local flora and fauna.

1 B UIL D IN G A P L AC E FOR C OM MU NIT Y

DESIGNING FOR INTEGRATION

This project is rooted in connection, with welcoming

participation in this industry. The building also

communal spaces creating a campus “living room”

needed to bridge - literally and metaphorically –

for entire campus community. Along the enjoyable

the historic University campus and the campus of

journey through the site, this connectivity was the

the future. The building acts as a gateway between

“true north” of the design from the beginning. The

campus and the city, academics and residential

hill climb experience is designed for delight, not

life, and the past and future.

just function, with gathering areas and spectacular views creating moments of discovery. Expansive

Campus design guidelines prioritize intellectual

terraces blur the lines between interior and exterior

and social interaction, cultural and historic

as they thread in and out of the building.

resources, and sustainable design. The architects collaborated with stakeholders to design a solution

Business is the fastest-growing campus major,

that supports a vibrant and inclusive public realm,

populated with over 5,000 students exploring

honors the history of the campus, and integrates

innovation, entrepreneurship, and the global

sustainable strategies with for significant positive

economy. The design needed to reflect an

impacts.

interconnected,

leading-edge

paradigm

of

2 A L L A R E W E LC OM E

DESIGNING FOR EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES

In keeping with the core Wilbur O. and Ann

helped to achieve consensus and buy-in while

Powers College of Business values of “ethics

easing the transition to new ways of working.

and

integrity,

resiliency,

innovativeness,”

the

building was designed to welcome the entire

The curriculum “nurtures individual development,

campus community. The design focused on

bolsters entrepreneurial thinking, spurs social

creating inviting public spaces in a building easily

and economic prosperity, provides customized

accessible by bus, bike, car, or pedestrians.

professional education and sparks a lifelong desire for learning.” Graduates will become leaders

The

building’s

users

are

multigenerational,

and the designers engaged faculty to ease the

affecting positive change in their communities at the local, regional, or global levels.

transition from traditional private office spaces into contemporary collaborative workspaces. The

A $60 million donation securing the building’s

designers invited the faculty to explore mock-up

naming rights was the University’s largest to date;

workspace prototypes and work in these temporary

the majority will be earmarked to endow student

locations while the building prototypes and work in

scholarships to ensure that a world-class business

was under construction. Faculty provided valuable

education is accessible to the broadest possible

feedback on various configurations, workstation

range of students.

designs, and furnishings. The prototyping process

3 HAR MONIZING W ITH NATU R E

DESIGNING FOR ECOSYSTEMS

The design essentially re-builds the existing hillside, and thus reimagines some of the natural systems that support a healthy site. Bio retention cells strategically integrated around the building and down the steep hillside collect stormwater and allow it to percolate onsite, with native landscaping supporting campus habitat.

4 HA R M ON IZ IN G W ITH NATU R E

DESIGNING FOR WATER

Permeable pavers at the street-level plaza help to minimize runoff, and heat- and drought-tolerant native plants selected for the landscaping reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation.

Native plantings and new trees were integrated into the site as part of the rebuilding of the hillside around the building.

5 BU ILD ING FOR W ISE STE WAR D SHIP

DESIGNING FOR ECONOMY

From the project’s inception, the team was committed to deeply understanding the program and designing the most efficient building possible, beginning with seating the building within the hill to work within the existing topography.

Conservation of space yields compounding benefits in terms of ecology, energy, and cost, and the building’s flexible, adaptable, multifunctional spaces accommodate a range of functions in a compact footprint. The design also focused on simplifying construction systems and materials to achieve a well-articulated, modular exterior without adding significant cost.

The building itself is rooted in the global economy, educating students in the markets and systems which influence the economy worldwide. A digital “ticker tape” integrated into the financial trading lab is visible from the exterior as well as the interior—a constant reminder of these systems and their interconnectedness with the community.

6 MINIMIZ IN G C ON S U M PTION

DESIGNING FOR ENERGY

The building’s humid subtropical climate typically

The building’s position in the hillside creates

requires intense energy use for summer cooling

another significant energy advantage, insulating

and dehumidification. Solar heat gain in this climate

three sides of the building with earth. This strategy

is another key factor. The building employs both

is particularly helpful in sheltering the building and

high and low-tech strategies to conserve energy,

reducing heat loss in the winter months.

including passive solar design and programmable electrochromic glass to control heat gain in the

Energy modeling predicts a $58,000 annual energy

south-facing atrium without blinds.

savings for the building over code and a pEUI of 83.5 kBtu/sf/yr, a reduction of 25 kBTU/sf/yr

The glazing system adjusts for changing weather

over baseline, and the building achieved Three

conditions for maximum daylighting and year-

Globes under the Green Globes rating system. A

round energy savings. The building links to a

building commissioning consultant was integral

central energy plant for efficiency. LED lighting

to the installation and testing of HVAC, electrical,

with occupancy sensors is integrated throughout,

lighting, and building automation systems.

and interior and exterior lighting perform 41% and 54% better than code, respectively lighting in teaching spaces are zoned to adjust to any task.

7 H E A LTH A N D HA P P IN E S S

DESIGNING FOR WELLBEING

Students were top-of-mind during the design

The healthy interior environment includes materials

process. Creating a building people would never

selected for indoor air quality, operable windows,

want to leave is a tall order, but the design focused

and integrated acoustical control in the atrium’s

on wellbeing, engagement, and comfort as

wood slat paneling. The electrochromic glazing

foundational requirements. The building prioritizes

is key for thermal comfort and glare control, and

authentic user engagement with visible, inclusive

a bespoke mother’s room supports the needs of

spaces.

staff and students balancing family needs.

The atrium brings light into the core, and the layout

The

takes full advantage of the building’s deliberate

physical activity as they navigate the building, and

transparency to provide meaningful views from

the stairs have become a regular part of the fitness

each program area. The Dean’s Office windows

routine for campus runners and walkers. The hill

capture framed views of the historic campus, and

climb itself animates the space as it embodies

the quiet study lounge feels like working “in the

wellness and movement.

trees” amid an urban campus. These sight lines and the siting of the building within the hill support intuitive wayfinding.

monumental

stairs

encourage

healthy

8 S T R AT E G IC U S E OF MATE R IA L S

DESIGNING FOR RESOURCES

The strategic use of materiality amplifies the

The design incorporated reclaimed wood from

parti of the building seated within the hillside.

campus trees which arborists had deemed near the

The building’s stratifications incorporate heavier

end of their life; this wood was kiln dried and cut

materials and ground level, and lighter materials

for special interior finishes such as accent walls,

progressing upward in floors and topography.

flooring, and furnishings. The team also re-used stockpiled fill from the construction process to

The key strategy of rightsizing the building allowed

rebuild the hill around the building, and converted

for significant resource conservation through

reclaimed soapstone windowsills into benches.

reduced square footage. A Life Cycle Analysis

During the construction process, the contractor

(LCA) helped the team make wise decisions

diverted 80% of construction waste from landfills;

regarding major building systems, and interior

demolition material was used for crane roads, and

materials and finishes were selected for both

chipped limbs from the site were used for erosion

health and sustainability, and Environmental

and dust control.

Product Declarations were secured for all interior finishes. The design team specified sustainable materials with a focus on local and US-made products for the project.

9 FU TU R E PR O OFING

DESIGNING FOR CHANGE

In an era of accelerating change, designing buildings

for

an

evolving

future

requires

flexible, adaptable spaces that can be easily reconfigured for as-yet-unforeseen needs. The building will flex to accommodate changing pedagogies or workflows; offices can easily transition to workstations, classrooms can serve as a “blank slate” for future uses. The layout of the interior spaces accommodates multiple learning, working, and collaboration spaces and is easily alterable for future needs.

For example, the faculty and PhD office spaces use a demountable furniture wall system at the corridor walls which could be removed should a space need to change from a private office to an open collaboration space.

The building also has a back-up generator in the event of a power outage, and is connected to the campus steam/chilled water system. IT infrastructure is designed for easy access and upgrades for new technologies.

10 CO NT IN U OU S L E A R N IN G

DESIGNING FOR DISCOVERY

Moments of discovery and delight are sprinkled throughout the project, from views to the old Main Tower to niches and opportunities for unprogrammed interactions, both indoors and out. The design is flexible and inviting enough for people to define their own usage through various spaces, and the building is quickly becoming a new node of campus activity. The design team worked closely with stakeholder groups to conduct pre-occupancy surveys and encourage student engagement in the design process, and will conduct post-occupancy surveys to build on prior knowledge and glean lessons learned to inform research and best practices on future business school designs.

As an added bonus, students from the University’s construction

science

architecture,

landscape

and

management,

architecture,

and

civil engineering programs participated in the construction process, from site visits to case studies to internships.

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