University of Kansas, Capitol Federal Hall, School of Business

Lawrence, Kansas

Firm

Gensler

Client

University of Kansas

Area

167,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$54,780,000

Completion Date

05/2016

Designed to catalyze connections, Capitol Federal Hall at the University of Kansas turns the typical business school model — student spaces on lower levels, faculty above — on its side. An expansive four-story atrium serves as a connector between the building’s major program elements — student incubators, labs, classrooms, offices and conference areas — while also housing a variety of informal gathering spaces. Every element is designed and placed to prompt serendipitous interactions and make the school a venue for entrepreneurial innovation.
In a marked shift from traditional academic design, the school’s interiors more closely resemble academic incubators, co-working spaces and start-up offices than they do typical classrooms, libraries, or laboratories. The design offers students a glimpse of where they could go after they make the leap from campus to workplace.
Louis Pasteur’s quote, “Chance favors the prepared mind,” served as inspiration to the design team, which operated under the belief that serendipity could be not only encouraged, but also manufactured.