SHIDLER BUSINESS COLLEGE
PROJECT TYPE: Higher Education
LOCATION: Manoa, HI
COLLABORATORS: Courtney Wierzbicki and Shelby Pusz
PROJECT GOALS: Create a space that supports advancing technology, collaboration, and community involvement for the Shidler School of Business. As a school that's concerned with the future, Shidler also requires environmentally responsible solutions.
DESIGN STATEMENT: As a major department of the University of Hawaii, renovating the campus for the Shidler School of Business was no small task. My project partners and I spent a considerable time doing research on the science of learning, biophilic design, and technology integrations that can facilitate learning. This gave us a great foundation of knowledge to make evidence based design decisions. From start to finish we planned for ways to make wayfinding easier, to increase community involvement, and to support multiple styles of learning.
We specified adaptable classrooms that can be set up in various arrangements or “modes” for various tasks (such as lectures vs working on group projects). Some classrooms also featured a ceiling mounted retractable dividing wall that allows for varying class sizes. Throughout the campus we specified products from Steelcase as their offerings best suited the needs of the Shidler community. These furnishings also allowed us to create a multitude of small group, large group, and individual learning environments.
The main commons area is a perfect gathering place, whether that’s to connect with other students before class, work on homework, or simply take in the views while enjoying a coffee from the adjacent coffee bar which is open to non-students as well and stocked with locally sourced foods and drinks. The commons also features a series of enclosed enclaves for focused individual work or for taking phone calls without disturbing others. The ceiling features a custom wood installation cut to emulate waves.
The nearby administration office is set up to be mostly open office seating, so administrators can stay easily accessible to students. There is also an enclosed meeting space for more private conversations. Just south of the administration office is the technology lab. Of course this space features plenty of computer stations for students to work, but just outside the lab are a trio of standing height counters where students can print their work and still be on time for class. The tech office is located just across the hall from the tech lab, creating a central location where students can come for help with technological issues. The building column that houses the elevators and tech office is clad in varying depth sections of endgrain wood, a sustainable choice as it uses industrial offcuts to showcase the natural beauty of wood.
Nestled amid a row of classrooms are a pair of team work spaces, both offering a semi private way of working on group projects outside of class. Further down the hall are three more private, fully enclosed enclaves that allow for practicing presentations, holding meetings, or working in groups. These enclaves also incorporate some biophilic design as they feature two walls of live plants. There are also small touch pads outside each enclave which allow users to schedule and reserve time in the enclaves even if they’re currently occupied.
Across the hall from the enclaves is the resource center, a modern mixed-media take on the traditional library. Among the usual stacks of books are tables for group work, booths for individual study, and large scale monitors for viewing media, presentations, or for group gatherings. Adjacent to the resource center is the quiet room, a more traditional study area reserved for quiet individual work. Most notable in the quiet room is the fireplace which is flanked by booth seating that captures the feeling of being in a bay window seat.
Our finishes were inspired by the colors and materials of the setting: Manoa, Hawaii. We used a split complementary color palette in blue, green, and red-orange to coordinate with the sky and sea, with the surrounding flora, and with brightly colored tropical flowers. We also had the opportunity to partner with a team of screen printers to design a custom pattern to be incorporated throughout the new campus. Inspired by both the flames of the torch in Shidler’s logo and the shape of the taro leaf, we developed a tessellated pattern of stylized stripes that can be layered in our established color palette and used in many applications. From signage to window etchings, this pattern can be seen throughout our design for the Shidler School of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
LOCATION: Manoa, HI
COLLABORATORS: Courtney Wierzbicki and Shelby Pusz
PROJECT GOALS: Create a space that supports advancing technology, collaboration, and community involvement for the Shidler School of Business. As a school that's concerned with the future, Shidler also requires environmentally responsible solutions.
DESIGN STATEMENT: As a major department of the University of Hawaii, renovating the campus for the Shidler School of Business was no small task. My project partners and I spent a considerable time doing research on the science of learning, biophilic design, and technology integrations that can facilitate learning. This gave us a great foundation of knowledge to make evidence based design decisions. From start to finish we planned for ways to make wayfinding easier, to increase community involvement, and to support multiple styles of learning.
We specified adaptable classrooms that can be set up in various arrangements or “modes” for various tasks (such as lectures vs working on group projects). Some classrooms also featured a ceiling mounted retractable dividing wall that allows for varying class sizes. Throughout the campus we specified products from Steelcase as their offerings best suited the needs of the Shidler community. These furnishings also allowed us to create a multitude of small group, large group, and individual learning environments.
The main commons area is a perfect gathering place, whether that’s to connect with other students before class, work on homework, or simply take in the views while enjoying a coffee from the adjacent coffee bar which is open to non-students as well and stocked with locally sourced foods and drinks. The commons also features a series of enclosed enclaves for focused individual work or for taking phone calls without disturbing others. The ceiling features a custom wood installation cut to emulate waves.
The nearby administration office is set up to be mostly open office seating, so administrators can stay easily accessible to students. There is also an enclosed meeting space for more private conversations. Just south of the administration office is the technology lab. Of course this space features plenty of computer stations for students to work, but just outside the lab are a trio of standing height counters where students can print their work and still be on time for class. The tech office is located just across the hall from the tech lab, creating a central location where students can come for help with technological issues. The building column that houses the elevators and tech office is clad in varying depth sections of endgrain wood, a sustainable choice as it uses industrial offcuts to showcase the natural beauty of wood.
Nestled amid a row of classrooms are a pair of team work spaces, both offering a semi private way of working on group projects outside of class. Further down the hall are three more private, fully enclosed enclaves that allow for practicing presentations, holding meetings, or working in groups. These enclaves also incorporate some biophilic design as they feature two walls of live plants. There are also small touch pads outside each enclave which allow users to schedule and reserve time in the enclaves even if they’re currently occupied.
Across the hall from the enclaves is the resource center, a modern mixed-media take on the traditional library. Among the usual stacks of books are tables for group work, booths for individual study, and large scale monitors for viewing media, presentations, or for group gatherings. Adjacent to the resource center is the quiet room, a more traditional study area reserved for quiet individual work. Most notable in the quiet room is the fireplace which is flanked by booth seating that captures the feeling of being in a bay window seat.
Our finishes were inspired by the colors and materials of the setting: Manoa, Hawaii. We used a split complementary color palette in blue, green, and red-orange to coordinate with the sky and sea, with the surrounding flora, and with brightly colored tropical flowers. We also had the opportunity to partner with a team of screen printers to design a custom pattern to be incorporated throughout the new campus. Inspired by both the flames of the torch in Shidler’s logo and the shape of the taro leaf, we developed a tessellated pattern of stylized stripes that can be layered in our established color palette and used in many applications. From signage to window etchings, this pattern can be seen throughout our design for the Shidler School of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.