RSP Architectural News Release - Hanson Hall



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For Immediate Release

Contact:

Gary Young

612.247.8123

gary.young@

RSP Architects Helps Carlson School Build for Future with

Hanson Hall at University of Minnesota

New undergraduate facility integrates elements of Carlson graduate building,

anticipates future educational needs.

Minneapolis (2 September 2008) – The future of business education is at hand. Hanson Hall, the four-story Carlson School of Management undergraduate building on the University of Minnesota West Bank Campus, was designed by RSP Architects with an eye toward both current and future educational considerations.

From state-of-the-art classroom technology to its elaborate network of meeting and lounge spaces to an atrium that comfortably accommodates the simultaneous movement of hundreds of students, RSP carefully considered a variety of student, faculty and management issues. In addition to the classroom and student-dedicated space, the 132,000 square foot structure includes 75,000 square feet of office and support space for Carlson School of Management and Department of Economics in the College of Liberal Arts.

RSP President and Principal in Charge David Norback said, “The trend within post-secondary education is increased undergraduate degree programs. Carlson recognized this shift and challenged RSP to design a facility to meet this emerging need. Our primary objective was to create a distinctive home for the undergraduate program that was complementary to the Carlson brand. I think we were successful in creating an expanded Carlson campus.”

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RSP and Hanson Hall – page 2

As part of the design integration, the brick, stone and glass curtainwall selected for Hanson Hall’s exterior refers to that of the original building. On the interior, Kasota Stone is also carried through from the graduate building.

According to Project Manager and RSP Senior Associate Marc Partridge, Hanson Hall’s ecological footprint also topped the list of architectural considerations. “Sustainability played a large role in the project. As part of a pilot program for the State of Minnesota’s Sustainable Building Guidelines, we went to great lengths to ensure that Hanson Hall is as environmentally-progressive as possible.” He explained the principles RSP followed were compatible with national guidelines, such as LEEDTM, while maintaining regional values, priorities and requirements. Environmental considerations include: recycled finishes, reduced embodied energy, an advanced water retention system and argon-filled glazing.

Some of Hanson Hall’s key architectural highlights include:

• An expansive atrium that can accommodate 850 students changing classrooms simultaneously

• A lower level student lounge equipped with computer docking stations, laptop lockers and slate blackboards to encourage creative expression

• A first floor classroom level featuring four large 125-seat classrooms, five 75-seat classrooms and a series of breakout rooms

• A second floor student level with distinct Graduate and Undergraduate career centers; 30 interview/training rooms and breakout meeting rooms

• A two story skyway with a canted wood ceiling and innovative lighting

• A monumental staircase that beautifully links all levels

• An expansive outdoor deck adjoining the second floor Starbucks Coffee

• Classroom windows for security, with blackout blinds to minimize glare and distraction

• A third floor dedicated to the Economics graduate faculty and staff, with an economics laboratory, library and offices

• A fourth floor, extending over Riverside Avenue to accommodate Economics senior faculty office space

• A serene southern courtyard for community, student and faculty reflection

• The Campbell Garden featuring a beautiful green space of plants, trees, and commissioned sculpture

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RSP and Hanson Hall – page 3

Mr. Partridge added, “This has been an interesting challenge from an architectural standpoint. The building had to accommodate a number of disparate needs. Students have specific needs; the Carlson School and the Department of Economics and their faculty each had their own needs and expressed wishes. In the end, everyone’s requests were met without compromising the vision for the building.”

Carlson School of Management Dean Alison Davis-Blake concurs. “Hanson Hall is the premier space dedicated to undergraduate business education. The classrooms are second to none. The space itself is beautifully designed to provide a wealth of other services, such as career services, academic counsel, and student collaborative learning, that will allow students to get the most out of their education.”

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RSP and Hanson Hall – page 4

About RSP Architects

RSP Architects was established 30 years ago and now has approximately 300 employees in its offices in Minneapolis and Rochester, Minnesota; Phoenix, Arizona; and Tianjin, China. Its headquarters is in the historic Grain Belt Brewhouse, an award-winning renovation and adaptive reuse project in Minneapolis.

RSP maintains a diverse practice with architectural expertise in corporate, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, institutional, manufacturing and research, retail, and government projects in the U.S. and internationally. In addition, RSP’s i-SPACE® is a proprietary service that offers unique insights into a firm’s real estate assets, while RSP Dreambox takes a non-traditional approach to design, strategy, innovation and multimedia architectural services.

RSP clients include Ameriprise Financial, American Express Company, Arizona State University, Comerica, Inc., GMAC ResCap, Boston Scientific, Madison Marquette, the Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Tianjin Haihe Development Commission, Travelers, Target Corporation, UnitedHealth Group, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Minnesota, and Wells Fargo & Company.

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