Title: Clemson University College of Business
Location of Proejct: Clemson, SC
Project Completion Date: 05/01/2020
Firm Name: LS3P

Short Description: This academic facility lies in, on, and over a historic campus hillside, turning a steep hill climb into a celebrated experience. The materiality of the design mirrors the hill itself, with grounded concrete elements and earthy wall tiles serving as a metaphorical retaining wall at the ground level transitioning to light, airy, upward-reaching materials as the building rises. A veil of white vertical slats at the interior atrium draws the eye skyward. A monumental interior stair parallels the exterior hill climb, inviting students into the building at various levels as they traverse the hill.

Architect's Statement: A business school is a future-focused proposition, preparing students for collaboration on an interpersonal, organizational, and global scale. Clemson University needed its new College of Business facility to reflect a new paradigm of learning, with leading-edge spaces designed for an evolving future. The goal was to raise standings and visibility for business programs and foster the College’s mission to “educate or students with the knowledge, skills, and values to drive and succeed in a dynamic global economy.”

As the first academic building in this campus precinct in over a century, the building needed to define a new campus gateway and strengthen the “town and gown” connection between the university and the city. The once-in-a-generation opportunity would create a new home- and an exciting future- for business programs. The building needed to accommodate diverse learning modalities, and to honor the past as well as the future. The Dean’s overarching goal was perhaps most important: to build a place that students wouldn’t want to leave.

As Clemson Agricultural College grew into Clemson University, the school’s programs evolved along with the growth of South Carolina from agriculture to textiles to technology. Clemson’s business programs evolved as well, from training students for the textile industry to equipping students to be leaders in a global economy. In 2016, Clemson’s business programs were operating from five disparate campus locations, and business was one of the fastest-growing majors. The University began implementing its vision for a world-class facility for the newly minted College of Business.

The proposed site, however, was rooted in history. The new building would front historic Bowman Field, where the school’s first athletic event was held in 1896, The field also hosted the school’s first football game in 1898, and served as a parade ground for the Corps of Cadets. In subsequent years, the field has become an iconic campus spot for everything from picnics to festivals. Students, staff, and alumni were impassioned about the idea of a new structure that might impinge on history and traditions.

Good stewardship of this hallowed site was a foundational requirement. Intensive stakeholder engagement and input were critical to the process, and the design team conducted research on the history, campus guidelines, architectural context, proportions and fenestration of nearby buildings, and other elements which would inform a thoughtful, well-received, and ultimately very successful design intervention on the site.

The site’s salient attribute, a 40’ hill between Bowman Field and the student residences above, became the greatest challenge and greatest asset. Capitalizing on the dramatic topography, the team envisioned the hill climb as a defining feature akin to the Spanish Steps. The form- a larger volume canted to align with the hill, connected to a linear bar -frames the terraced exterior stair and plazas. 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, upward-reaching 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 a promenade at the top, knitting together residential, academic, and social spaces. The voluminous atrium is designed for connection in every sense of the word. Gathering areas, adaptable furnishings, and touchdown spaces accommodate a variety of tasks.

The impact of the new building is already evident in the 9% enrollment growth in the College of Business in the last year. The project has substantially raised the College’s profile, with the MBA program named as one of the top 30 on the Princeton Review and a recent $60 million donation - the largest in the history of the University – to support scholarships and programs. For the campus, this formerly peripheral site now anchors a thriving new hub of activity. The facility doubles the College’s former footprint while consolidating programs housed in five separate buildings under one roof, strengthening the community and streamlining operations. According to Dean Wendy York, “The building and our academic direction are becoming a launchpad for students to become revolutionary change agents who will make positive contributions to business and industry in South Carolina, across our nation and beyond.”