Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) recently completed a new extension for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Named the Business Innovation Hub, the building offers additional study space and social areas, and is defined by an eye-catching copper facade.
The Business Innovation Hub, which also involved Goody Clancy Architects, measures 70,000 sq ft (roughly 6,500 sq m). Its exterior is wrapped in vertical copper pillars that gradually slope downward to form a large triangular glazed entrance, in a way likened to falling dominoes by BIG, and will patina over time.
"The new Business Innovation Hub at the Isenberg School of Management is conceived as an extension of both the building and the campus mall," explains Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director at BIG.
"The linear structure is bent to form a full loop framing an internal courtyard for the life of the students. The facade is pulled away in a domino effect to create a generous invitation from the Haigis Mall to the Learning Commons. The mall and the courtyard – inside and outside form a forum for the students, the faculty and the profession to meet, mingle and mix society and academia."
The triangular entrance opens onto a multi-story atrium with dining and seating facilities. Elsewhere lie classrooms, faculty offices, and the like, in addition to interview rooms and conference rooms. According to BIG, sunlight naturally illuminates each hallway and room.
At the building's center is a circular courtyard, which includes a garden and stone seating, and connects to the main university campus via two pathways. Additionally, a glass bridge and a copper bridge connect the extension to the main Isenberg School of Management building.
The Business Innovation Hub is slated to receive LEED Silver (a green building standard) certification, though we've no word on any other efficient or sustainable features beyond the natural lighting.
Source: BIG