Louisiana State University, E.J. Ourso College of Business

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Firm

ikon.5 architects

Client

Louisiana State University

Area

167,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$48,000,000

Completion Date

08/2012

The E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University is a glass and steel “academic village” for business education. The courtyard site plan and building forms are contextual–recalling the sloped roof pavilions and arcaded courtyards of the adjacent historic campus. To illustrate a forward-looking aesthetic that embodies the mission of the school–generating business innovation in Louisiana and the Gulf region, these traditional architectural forms are constructed of contemporary materials and details.

The pavilions are clad in ceramic-coated translucent mirror glass, and the rotunda is clad in a bronze solar screen, resulting in a composition of forms that are ephemeral apparitions of the original campus. This composition reflects the strong heritage of the campus while looking to the promises of the future.

The design team researched glass technologies and developed a cream-colored ceramic fritted insulating glass unit with a mirror glass back panel, which creates a moire pattern over the surface of the pavilions. This results in a three-dimensional appearance that is similar in color and modeling to its stucco-clad neighbors. The south and west sides of the rotunda are surrounded by a custom bronze screen that uses an arch motif, which recalls the university’s treasured campus arcades. The screen is designed to shield the glass rotunda from harsh solar gain.

At the ground level, the pavilions, which house the classrooms, are interconnected by an arcade and surround the landscaped courtyard. Internally, a multi-story business commons, situated in the rotunda, opens up visually and physically to the courtyard and is the iconic centerpiece for the business school campus.