Press Releases
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Featured Project
Cementing the University of Michigan’s standing as one of the premier business schools in America, the Ross School of Business complex is a world-class facility with an enduring local identity.
Phase 1: Establishing a New Identity
Following their 2004 Strategic Facilities Plan, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business undertook the demolition of three outdated buildings to make way for a new academic heart. KPF’s plan organized a 500-seat auditorium, 12 tiered and four flat-floor classrooms, and 24 group study spaces around a central winter garden that opened to the street, ultimately generating a new heart for the campus that furthers Michigan’s “Action-Based Learning” curriculum, which views teamwork and community as a pedagogical base.
Pedestrian circulation through a series of green spaces connects the buildings on the michigan campus. Clear circulation links new and existing business school campus buildings.
The campus is made up of rectangular volumes of varying heights surround the winter garden, weaving together the complex of new and existing buildings.
Taken together, the plan creates a new center of gravity for the school with an organization of elements around a central winter garden that opens directly to the street, thus providing a distinctive presence and a welcoming entry.
A major new entry canopy creates a welcoming covered plaza and forms a new identity for the school. Approaching from the main campus, the building provides a striking image with cantilevered volumes identifying the gallery, colloquium, and boardroom.
“…It all started with splendid programming, and it amazes me every time I walk through this building to see how well this Ross School is working. Bravo!! And the design. What beauty. The night guard has a hard time kicking people out at 1:30 in the morning…”
– Thomas G. Schlaff, P.E., Project Director, Architecture, Engineering & Construction, The University of Michigan
Phase 2: Extending the Vision
While the first phase was about demolition and new build to create a new vision for Ross, Phase 2 was about surgical enhancement, thoughtful renovation, adaptive reuse, and the extension of Phase 1 concepts through other existing buildings on the campus.
Organization & Massing
The school’s primary circulation spine connects all buildings at ground and second floors, linking two three-story atria at Blau and Kresge Halls with the Phase 1 Winter Garden, while the parallel Garden Walk completes the loop by connecting key entries and the parking garage. Blau Hall features a simple bar design with core functions at both ends and a flexible planning loft in between, incorporating glassy volumes for light-filled common spaces and setting back at the third floor to harmonize with adjacent buildings. A glass elevator and stair core serves both Blau and Kresge Halls, acting as a nexus at the circulation crossroads and a beacon at the north courtyard.
Renovation & Renewal
Throughout the campus, strategic adjustments created enormous benefits, allowing the entire school to cohere while retaining and amplifying its identity. For example, a cherished old oak tree was relocated rather than cut down, while surrounding existing buildings were reclad to match the formal and material language of Phase 1 additions.
The Executive Residence and Wyly Hall remain and gained new life with selected architectural interventions of stone, terra cotta, and glass at entries, stair volumes, loading dock, and cooling towers. The existing brick and precast façades were neutralized with a dark grey elastomeric coating and screen walls of terra cotta and aluminum fins, as well as patterned glass suspended from the structure above.
Crafting Coherence
From project kickoff, the team prioritized materiality and artisanship in design development. A mosaic of terra cotta, glass, wood, and textile, the project benefits from KPF’s close relationships with fabricators and artisans. The terra cotta's vertical assembly system relies on shade and shadow to create depth, giving the illusion of various colored finishes and textures all with a single dyed material. Breaking from the ubiquity of red clay brick was a sophisticated design choice, expanding on the existing architectural vernacular of the campus.
Project Details
KPF’s decade long, multi-phased rebuild and renewal of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business crafted a revitalized identity for an established institution rising in the academic rankings.
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