Chicago, Illinois | >100,000 SF

TKB’s design concept for a new College of Business (COB) at the University of Illinois in Chicago includes classrooms, conference center, academic offices, and support functions for a prominent new site and was intended to immediately raise the profile of the College and fundraise for the new building construction. The project goal was to ascertain the COB programmatic needs, study multiple site locations so the university could agree upon an appropriate location and design a 100,000 SF building as an exciting new home for the College.  Multiple sites were examined in the context of logistics and master plan goals to assist the University in its site decision.

The resulting building design is modern and sculptural, following UIC standards for classrooms and developing new standards for COB faculty and departmental office needs.  The building form was driven by the need for both high-ceilinged classroom spaces and maximum perimeter area to provide daylight for faculty and administrative offices.  The solution, adapted to each site, was a tall base for classrooms and lobby, and an open atrium wrapped in office space on upper stories.  The highest floor was developed for the dean’s suite with an accessible green roof and views of the Chicago Loop.  The College of Business anticipates that the roof-deck views of the city and campus will be a popular recruiting tool.