McCord Hall, the newest building in the W. P. Carey School of Business, has already built a reputation for its beautiful architecture, comfortable classrooms and easy learning environment.
Executive MBA student Krishna Saikiah has been taking classes in the new building this semester.
“The architecture really differentiates it from other buildings in W. P. Carey and other buildings in the University," she said.
McCord Hall consists of four floors split into a north and south wing with a total of 14 classrooms, nine of which are tiered and five of which are flat. The classrooms can seat anywhere from 36 to 85 students.
McCord Hall also has 58 team rooms that allow students to work in groups. Only graduate and executive MBA classes are taught in McCord Hall.
“The classrooms are good," Saikiah said. "They are spacious, not too big and not too small, just the perfect optimum size."
The team rooms are also useful and allow students to work together easily, Saikiah said.
Business school Dean Amy J. Hillman said the construction of McCord Hall is emblematic of the innovation at ASU.
“This gorgeous building and how it is a symbol of the truly out-of-the-box thinking that is going on at ASU,” she said.
McCord Hall was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in collaboration with RSP Architects and DPR Construction and funded by $20 million in donations and a generous lead gift made by Sharon Dupont McCord and her late husband Bob McCord, according to W. P. Carey Alumni Magazine.
McCord Hall namesake and contributor Sharon Dupont McCord said the unique construction of 129,000 square-foot facility that makes up McCord Hall is reflective of the unique and critical thinking that goes on at ASU.
“This is truly a dream, and the collaboration that takes place in this magnificent facility just blows your mind," she said. "This is the kind of building that is structured to make a difference."
ASU President Michael Crow said McCord Hall, along with the other W. P. Carey buildings, are the headquarters for one of the five largest business schools on the planet, advancing the best people and ideas.
“This is the birthplace of the ideas from which our country and the rest of the world will be successful," Crow said. "This facility also represents a spirit of engagement that we have been hoping for here at ASU.”
Three ideas that converge and are represented in McCord Hall are capitalism, democracy and the advancement of education, Crow said.
“The ideas of capitalism, the role of education to advance democracy and the very ideas of our democracy are all embodied in this school, this public university,” he said.
McCord Hall was built with respects to the idea that nobody would be left behind because of their family’s circumstances or because of an artificial elitism in this school, Crow said. Anyone willing to work hard with drive, energy and talent could be successful, he said.
“In this part of America, an exceptional school has emerged with its own character, its own outlook, its own perspective and its own drive,” Crow said.
McCord Hall will remain long past the administrators, faculty and students who use it now, Hillman said.
“We have an inspiring motto here at ASU," Hillman said. "Dream it, do it. A lot of people dreamt about this place. We’ve done it, and now we can move on to dream about greater things to do within it.”
Reach the reporter at acataruz@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @AleksCatz
