Project File: A corporate presence

The 118,000-square-foot College of Business building at Illinois State University, Bloomington-Normal, Ill., is designed in the Georgian style of architecture. It opened in January 2005. The facility blends a small college campus environment with a corporate presence.

The COUNTRY Insurance and Financial Services Atrium is the core of the building. Visitors see a six-story, 1,000-square-foot open area when entering the building. The atrium serves as the crossroads between the building's classroom wing and the faculty/administrative wing.

The building's four stories wrap around a courtyard. Three arched openings from the quad lead directly into the courtyard, a scenic location for informal study sessions, conversation and meetings.

Ten team rooms are available to students for group meetings and team projects. The building also has several special-purpose technology labs and centers. Every classroom seat is wired for power and data, and nodes in public areas allow wireless access.

The architect for this project is VOA Associates Inc. (Chicago).