The physical space at Harrison Hall, where DePauw University’s new School of Business and Leadership will be located, will be an open and welcoming space with flexible classrooms that can be used for a variety of learning and teaching styles.
“Whenever we think about space, we want to put people first,” said Dave Berque, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. School of Business and Leadership, but the faculty who are already teaching at Harrison Hall or planning to teach in some of the newly renovated spaces are really, really important. “
Representatives from Studio Ma, the self-proclaimed human-centered architecture firm in Phoenix that designs the space, came to Greencastle in late August to hear from university leaders, faculty, and students about how they’re adapting to modern learning. and asked about how to create space. Welcome people from all over campus and DePauw’s invited guests.
Studio Ma Principal Christiana Moss said:
Her company wants Harrison Hall to be “infused with all the ideals and goals of the school of business and leadership.” Communicate the new school’s focus on business leadership and ethics.
Moss and two colleagues listened to the 13 students who attended the hour-long session, discussing their need for space for individual study and their desire to create a warm tone rather than an industrial one. emphasized aspirations.
The school shares space in Harrison Hall with an existing faculty in a three-story red brick building built in 1938. It can be configured for lectures, small group collaboration, or other learning styles. Classrooms are outfitted with wireless technology and her 12 Bloomberg Terminals, allowing students to access research tools and foster collaboration.
Common areas are available to the entire campus, as well as students from the School of Business and Leadership. An atrium with extended ceilings shows the connections between the areas housed in Harrison and brings light to the building.
The School of Business and Leadership, which will launch next fall, is part of the Bold & Gold 2027 strategic plan announced in March. It is one of four business schools in the nation in the top 50 liberal arts colleges and the only business school in the Midwest.
Demolition of parts of Harrison Hall is scheduled to begin in December, and construction is expected to begin in January.
The location and related architectural decisions of Harrison’s School of Business and Leadership are intentional so that students do not feel isolated from the campus or more elite than students in other disciplines. DePauw, who has explored experiences at other educational institutions, tries to avoid identifying business and leadership students with their school rather than the university as a whole.
University leaders also want the architecture to represent DePauw’s interdisciplinary nature. “One of the tenets of the academic renewal portion of the strategic plan is to center and strengthen liberal arts and science colleges,” Berque said. “So what’s going on in liberal arts and science colleges will affect the formation not only of creative schools, but also of business and leadership schools. will not be operated by
They will be heavily integrated with liberal arts and science colleges, which means we need to think holistically when developing spaces. “
Learn more about school design in this video.
