The future Farmer Hall, which will be located at the corner of Patterson Avenue and High Street, is the site of the former dorm Ried Hall. (Lauren Fleming)
Two weeks after ground broke on Richard T. Farmer Hall, the future home for Miami University's Farmer School of Business, administrators are still deciding which contractor will get a bid for the project.
Located at the intersection of Patterson and High streets, the estimated $50 million building will include all six academic departments in the business school, as well as the business offices and special classrooms. Currently, the business school's offices and classrooms are situated in both Upham and Laws halls. However, the new facility will allow for the entire business program to function in the same place, so students and faculty will not have to travel between different buildings.
"The first thing that comes to my mind is space," said Timothy Greenlee, associate professor of marketing.
Scheduled to open in January 2009, university officials are distributing design packages for different contractors to bid on in order for construction to begin.
Greenlee stressed that having a main location for the business school will help solidify its identity on campus, and allow students to obtain greater access to the different organizations within the program.
The building will feature specialized break-out rooms adjacent to main classrooms, so students performing group activities will have special areas to work together.
According to Greenlee, the rooms will be similar to the group study areas at King Library, but with additional file cabinets and lockers to store supplies and materials. Students will also have the option of reserving rooms for specific time periods.
In addition, all classrooms will be wired with state-of-the-art technology, such as Webcams, so students can have meetings over the Internet with people outside of the university.
"So many of the classes involve team projects," said Alan Oak, assistant dean for external relations for the Richard T. Farmer School of Business. "That's what these rooms will be geared toward."
Miami's business school is ranked among the best in the nation, and it is important that its facilities reflect that level of quality, according to Greenlee. He added that he hopes the combination of an already flourishing program with an improved main building will give Miami the chance to provide students with the best education possible.
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"It's going to look like it has been here and will fit right in, not stick out," Greenlee said, referring to the authentic feel and traditional red brick that characterizes Miami's academic buildings.
Along its physical incorporation onto campus, the new building will offer a center for more student-faculty interaction, intended to be is conducive to learning.
Intent on creating a place where students can spend the majority of their day, Farmer Hall will have a cafe serving hot and cold food and a common room.
"I think it's a wise move because you're designing a building based on how students live," Greenlee said. "We want to make the school a part of the day, where (students) can stay longer and focus (their) time better."
The building will also feature a new auditorium that can be used by groups outside of the business school. Similar to Hall Auditorium, the room will seat 500
people and have necessary light, sound and projector equipment in order to host speakers and presentations.
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