Ivy College of Business - Gerdin Building Expansion

Project Details

Project Description

The Gerdin Business Building Expansion at Iowa State University creates a dynamic nexus and intellectual center for the Ivy College of Business. The design expands the College’s ability to foster collaboration and innovation among business scholars through modern teaching methodologies, impactful research, and community engagement. Located within Iowa State’s central campus, the Ivy College of Business had previously started to outgrow its existing space and aimed to create a seamless addition that both respects its original building and allows the College space to grow. The expansion provides multiple settings for student learning including formal, tiered classroom settings; huddle rooms and team rooms for student collaboration; faculty offices; and a suite of behavioral sales labs for the College’s business sales program.

Integrated Design-Build Approach
BNIM and Story Construction formed an integrated design-build team in response to the University’s request for design and cost proposals. The entire design and construction team worked collaboratively to address the unique programmatic needs of the College within the constrained site and to develop dynamic solutions for project challenges. The team implemented a human-purposed design approach and LEAN methodologies, defined by Story Construction as CP2.0 in this successful integrated design process. The resulting design is an addition that is comfortable, promotes universal accessibility, and provides a spectrum of spaces and qualities that foster community among Ivy College of Business scholars.
Creating a Central Heart and Human-Purposed Design Strategies
One of the key elements that was essential in the integrated design-build team’s approach to the new addition was the formation of a central lobby space at the heart of the building to fulfill a need for student gathering space while serving as a seamless, connective tissue between the future and existing building. In response to the building’s newly expanded footprint, the central lobby space served as an important vehicle to bring natural daylight into the heart of the facility from above. This daylight-filled space serves as a place of connection for the Ivy College community and a connector of the building itself, establishing a more cohesive facility for learning and engagement.
Prior to the addition, the large majority of classrooms were windowless, lacking access to daylight. In response, the design team aimed to provide more porosity in office and classroom environments to establish connections to outdoors. The design for the building is organized to create deliberate connections to views outside even if an occupant is standing at the heart of building. The design team also implemented numerous sustainability goals in energy, water, air quality, construction, and waste and recycling. Team - Are there other sustainability details we should include?

Equalizing Accessibility and Universal Design Strategies
Creative solutions for universal design and access have allowed the design of the expansion to manage grade changes on the site to graciously create access for all. The design team worked to remove any barriers to entry and to establish equal access to classrooms and support areas throughout the expansion. Tiered classrooms can typically create an inherent separation in accessibility for individuals with disabilities with limited entrance access and space functionality for wheelchairs. Previously, the existing facility’s ADA accessible entrance point to the College’s series of tiered classrooms was located down a narrow corridor that was separated from the public circulation pathway. To create an integrated accessibility solution for a barrier free entry into classroom spaces, the team designed a sloping main hallway which creates an open, welcoming, public circulation pathway to provide equal access to classrooms for all students. Bathrooms in the expansion also provide gracious space in design organization no door barriers.

A goal of the University in creating this seamless addition to the Gerdin business building was to maintain the existing facility’s main thoroughfare that provides east entry access from the central campus. The new addition maintained this campus connection, continuing the pathway from campus with a gradually sloping floor. This intuitive accessible design strategy provides students with wide pathways and gracious, hospitable space when entering the College. The pathway also serves as art gallery for students and visitors to enjoy.