Today's graduate business students prepare for careers in a global
workplace. They seek graduate schools that instill the intellectual tools
for success as well as environments that impart a good sense of corporate
life beyond the university. That was the mindset of Executive Dean Joyce
Elam, whose vision for Florida International University's new Graduate
School of Business has taken shape on the beautiful Miami campus.
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FIU
Case Study
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Design Challenge
The School of Business at FIU serves 1000 graduate students on
a spectacular South Florida campus. True to the university's
powerful record of innovation to improve quality of life, the
internal planners set a goal to create an ideal environment to foster
the brightest business minds of the future. "Our central concept
was the idea of creating a community for graduate students who
focus on international business," explained Joyce Elam, Executive
Dean. "This student community would mimic a real corporate
environment beyond the university." Congruent with this
philosophy, places for extra-curricular interaction were
deemed equally important as spaces for traditional study.
In a joint venture project, two architectural firms, BEA
International of Coral Gables, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
(KPF) of New York, were challenged to create just
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such an educational community. The architecture of the space and its
furnishings were to provide continuity between the indoor and
outdoor spaces. The arcade connecting the two L-shaped wings of
the building and courtyard between were conceived as additional
space where students would be encouraged to lounge, converse,
and study. The architects drew upon the predominant Latin and
Hispanic cultural heritage of the majority of the student body to
create a vibrant 24-hour community that reflects Miami's young,
energetic and forward-looking attitude.
The courtyard, with its water features and palm trees, is ideally
situated to capture the moderate westerly breezes, convincing
students — most of whom commute daily to campus — to linger
and interact. A grand central staircase, inspired by Mayan
structures, invites circulation into and out of the building, while
the ochre, intense reds and pale blues of the pre-cast concrete
exterior echo pre-Columbian art.
The intentional use of glass, metal and wood elements in the
architecture of FIU's Graduate School of Business embraces the
glorious external environment of blue sky and water. On the inside,
contemporary Kimball Office furnishings and DIRTT demountable
walls continue the serenity of the outdoor views with light wood
finishes, silvery trims and glass.
Analyzing how the new building would be used pointed out
practical considerations for the space planners.
- Rooms and their furniture needed to be flexible to allow for
growth and mobile to permit use in adjacent areas.
- Seating had to be adjustible to comfortably fit all body sizes.
- Various sizes of multi-purpose tables were needed, so they
could be linked together in different configurations. As in any
university setting, enabling technology is imperative.
- Adaptability is highly important, and continuity of fabrics and
finishes across product lines would be a distinct advantage.
Following a visit to the Kimball Office showroom in Chicago, the
choice of Kimball Office to supply the open plan and private office
furnishings for the new building was easy for FIU. "The products
are beautiful — the best wood products in the industry," Dean
Elam remarked. "And the people of Kimball Office work with you
and support you; they are very responsive."
The Kimball Office Solution
Classrooms in FIU's Graduate School of Business are outfitted with
Scenario powered tables in Honey woodgrain laminate and Wish
ergonomic chairs for day-long comfort. Scenario was chosen for
mobility and its brilliant accommodation of power/data solutions.
Seating was specified in similar Maharam upholsteries throughout,
so the chairs are adaptable to the ebb and flow between classrooms.
The special events room with Aspire tables and lightweight
Event seating was a favorite part of the project for Dean Elam.
Envisioned as a multi-purpose room where large gatherings
like receptions, dinners, guest speakers, parties and other
extracurricular happenings would take place, this room took its
ideal form when folding, mobile Aspire tables and stackable Event
seating were specified.
In a more formal conference room, the Natural Maple
contemporary racetrack table is fitted with retractable power/data
centers so that users can easily access power and communications
connections from any seat around the table. Skye seating's intuitive
adjustments mean everyone's comfortable, even during the
longest meetings.
Ample workrooms use Xsite semi-open stations, arranged in
clusters around a central bank of low Footprint files with
worksurface tops. This configuration permits individual
concentration or collaboration among a group of students.
Touchdown stations offer opportunities to grab a few minutes to
read or polish off email. Each is a compact Xsite station with
side panels and worksurface, completed by ergonomic Skye chairs,
for brief yet productive stays.
A large file room is equipped for optimum storage capacity,
housing banks of durable Fundamental files.
Private offices for Deans were each specified in one of three
configurations of Priority casegoods finished in Natural Maple.
Priority's breadth of line and Kimball Office's precise finish color
matching allow faculty members to add components to their office
arrangement to suit their individual needs. These offices have Skye
desk chairs and Adagiato guest seating.
An open area with Delano lounges and in-line tables invites
conversation, while the arrangement stays neatly in place.
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