Urbahn was engaged to design this new classroom building housing Economics, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, and an interdisciplinary program, Science-Technology-Society. The 3-story facility gathers together in one place these soft sciences that had been fragmented all over campus.
The building is sited axially on the Mall and adjacent to the new School of Business, also designed by Urbahn. Its location between the academic and residential zones led to the design of a pass-through lobby with entrances on both sides. The building form bevels, embracing the curve of the Mall’s oval focal point. The design relates closely to the School of Business, with the use of a rainscreen panel system on the northern face and full height expanses of glass at the offices. Similarly, the syncopated and staggered window pattern picks up the rhythm of the SOB façade. Student lounges and the stairwell/lobby are glazed to create a focal point at the building’s hinge.