Smith Schools High-Tech Expansion Wins Building Award

The new $38 million wing at the Smith School has been recognized by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) for the facilitys advanced technology. The Maryland chapter of AGC has honored the projects contractor, The Whiting-Turning Contracting Company, with the organizations 2003 Build Maryland Award for State of the Art Advancement.

The Robert H. Smith School of Business now has one of the most technologically-advanced learning spaces of any business school in the world, and were thrilled that it has been recognized with this award, said Howard Frank, dean of the Smith School. The state-of-the-art facility demonstrates our commitment to providing the infrastructure needed to support world-class business research and management education for the digital economy.

The new 103,000-square-foot wing, which doubled the size of the schools home in Van Munching Hall, opened for classes in September 2002. The four-story structure includes offices, classrooms, computer laboratories, seminar rooms, conference rooms, and dining facilities. A total of 28 rooms are outfitted with state-of-the-art audiovisual (AV) capabilities. The AV systems are fully integrated with touch-screen controls allowing one-touch activation to power each system, lower the projection screen, lower motorized window shades, dim the integrated lighting systems, and start the AV program. Most of the rooms are also equipped with video and audio teleconferencing capabilities.

The wing features a laboratory designed to facilitate the development of key behavioral skills; a computer laboratory dedicated to education in financial trading and portfolio management; and four research-focused technology labs. There is also a student caf and an extensive suite for the Office of Career Management, which includes one dozen interview rooms, a recruiter lounge, and a career library. There is wireless computing access throughout the building; a wired data jack at each classroom seat; and a graduate student lounge with lockers and changing rooms. Each locker contains an electrical outlet so students can re-charge their laptop computers.