LMN Architects has announced the groundbreaking of MSU's new three-story, 100,000-square-foot Broad College of Business Pavilion. This project transforms the decades-old existing facility into a cohesive complex at the forefront of modern business education. The new pavilion introduces a socially-active learning environment for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, corporate partners and alumni to collaborate and launch the next generation of business leaders. LMN designed the pavilion in partnership with FTCH, the architect/engineer of record.
"This new facility gives us the physical support we need for game-changing initiatives in business education," commented Broad College Dean, Sanjay Gupta. "It is critical that we train students to be part of business teams. We need classrooms where technology is seamlessly assimilated with collaborative spaces. This is the important remaining piece in our efforts to improve the recognition, reputation, and rankings of our programs."
The pavilion creates a new front door for Broad College, which further animates the life of the larger campus. Located within the heart of the campus and along the Red Cedar River, the building creates a strong connection between Shaw Lane and the river walk. A central, three-story atrium celebrates this sense of arrival, while amphitheater stairs continue the momentum down to the café, multi-purpose rooms, and outdoor areas. The atrium provides a new focus for Broad College to host college-wide events, recruitment fairs, and informal interaction and team collaboration.
Celebrating Broad College's team-based community culture, the design weaves together classrooms, laboratories and social spaces at a variety of scales. These program elements permeate all aspects of the academic experience, with an emphasis on collaborative environments supporting the college's cutting-edge research curriculum. A skylight and clerestory windows run the full length of the building to fill the space with natural light, encouraging continuous student use for independent study, group projects and informal meetings.
This transparent community space is framed by two program "bars" that focus views through the building to the landscape beyond. Corridors overlooking the atrium lead to flat/flexible and tiered/case study classrooms for face-to-face discussions, as well as for technology-enabled active learning and networking. The pavilion's masonry, glass and metal exterior expresses the contemporary functionality of its forward-looking programs while complementing the materials and sensibility of the surrounding campus architecture.
"The pavilion offers today's students the experiences needed to become effective entrepreneurs and leaders in society, anywhere in the world," said George Shaw, AIA, Partner at LMN Architects. "Broad College now has the resources tailored to promote excellence not just in the classroom, but also professionally."