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BUSINESS NEWS LMN ARCHITECTS ANNOUNCE GROUNDBREAK- ING OF THE NEW CLEMSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS LMN Architects announced the groundbreaking of Clemson University’s $87 million, 170,000-square-foot College of Business, which ushers in a new era for one of the fastest-growing disciplines on campus. The facility will replace Sirrine Hall with a state- of-the-art building that will promote collabora- tion, research, interaction with industry, and the flexibility to adapt to advances in technol- ogy. LMN designed the project in partnership with LS3P, the local architect of record. “Clemson has taken a huge step as a world- class institution by growing its business edu- cation capabilities,” says Business School Dean Bobby McCormick. “This new facility will shine an even brighter light on our ability to promote leadership, innovation, and entre- preneurial skills.” The five-story College of Business creates a gateway for Clemson that sets a precedent for social and intellectual interaction. The first new academic building on historic Bowman Field in
100 years, it establishes a 24/7 hub for student activities and anchors Clemson’s historic heart as the centerpiece for a new North Academic Precinct. The building is conceived as a think- tank environment with a variety of spaces for active learning, including technology-equipped classrooms, learning labs, study lounges, and a café, as well as faculty and departmental of- fices. Additionally, a 220-seat, flat-floor audi- torium, business center, and incubator space encourage entrepreneurial pursuits that attract business partners. “This new home for our outstanding College of Business is a key component of the univer- sity’s ongoing efforts to keep Clemson among the very best public universities in the coun- try,” says Clemson President James Clements. “We look forward to breaking ground on what will become one of the finest business educa- tion facilities in the country.” Composed of two glass and brick towers nestled into a hillside, the complex features a five-story atrium providing daylight, views, and connections to a vibrant network of learning
opportunities, inside and outside the class- room. The towers are linked by a grand public stair that engages students at multiple levels and culminates at a new plaza in the campus core. The lower two levels connect beneath the grand stair, creating a cohesive instruc- tional zone. “Dean McCormick challenged the design team to create a ‘magnetic home’ for all students,” says LMN Partner Rafael Vinoly-Menendez. “By cultivating the overlap of learning, re- search and service, the new College of Busi- ness will inspire students to linger and interact in un-programmed ways, enriching Clemson’s commitment to economic and social advance- ment.” The building’s exterior expression both hon- ors the past and looks to the future, its brick façade respecting the larger historic context, while the expansive glazing reflects the col- lege’s contemporary function and program- ming. Modern construction technology allows for maximizing transparency without compro- mising energy efficiency.
CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7
TZL: The last few years have been good for the A/E indus- try. Is there a downturn in the forecast, and if so, when and to what severity? DS: In housing we are still in recovery and expect the next dip in two to three years out, but it won’t be a big dip – but more like a correction back to normal. TZL: They say failure is a great teacher. What’s the big- gest lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? DS: With the housing downturn and financial collapse of 2008, we learned that having 15 offices that offered every- thing was hard to pivot on. We learned to make ourselves lean and nimble. TZL: While M&A is always an option, there’s something to be said about organic growth. What are your thoughts on why and how to grow a firm? DS: We think you have to do both. The talent pool is shal- low and time-to-ROI has to be considered when determin- ing which strategy makes the most sense. TZL: Do you use historical performance data or metrics to establish project billable hours and how does the type of contract play into determining the project budget? DS: We track all job performances and use that data to de- termine what worked and what didn’t to learn for the next time. Our process requires us to establish prototype docu- ments to ensure that we have a clear picture of what the endgame on deliverables will look like with a supporting budget. This takes the guess work out of budgeting which, too often, is conceptual in nature. TZL: What’s your prediction for 2018? DS: Growth.
ing cycle times by reinventing our processes and eliminat- ing what we call “white space.” All jobs are different in terms of fees and scopes, but the constant has to be executing within a disciplined process that you know works. When it doesn’t work, one of two things is happening: You skipped process steps, or the pro- cess needs to change. “When we create a marketing strategy, before it is ever launched, we determine what the ROI will be within a set timeframe. You cannot leave that up to chance so we create the focus and the urgency in each plan or we don’t do it.” TZL: Measuring the effectiveness of marketing is diffi- cult to do using hard metrics for ROI. How do you evalu- ate the success/failure of your firm’s marketing efforts when results could take months, or even years, to mate- rialize? Do you track any metrics to guide your market- ing plan? DS: When we create a marketing strategy, before it is ever launched, we determine what the ROI will be within a set timeframe. You cannot leave that up to chance so we cre- ate the focus and the urgency in each plan or we don’t do it. For example, even when folks attend a conference or indus- try function they have to produce an ROI statement about how their attendance will move the needle for BSB on rev- enue, relationship building, or new knowledge that we can leverage.
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THE ZWEIG LETTER January 22, 2018, ISSUE 1232
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