Miami University Farmer School of Business

HEAPY designed the Mechanical-Electrical systems for the Miami University Farmer School of Business. The main entrance leads to the double-height Commons, which stands at a major crossroads of the building’s interior circulation with adjacent study and dining rooms, as does the sky-lit atrium, which opens to all floors of the building.

A broad open staircase connecting the school’s upper floors of classrooms occupies the atrium. Instructional spaces, including cluster classrooms, breakout rooms, and a trading room, reflect the school’s academic style, which emphasizes small group work, seminar instruction, and experiential learning. The entrance to the school’s 515-seat auditorium is given prominence in the complex and is visible from Uptown Oxford’s High Street.

The new building features a mock trial courtroom including support spaces such as deliberation, lawyer-client spaces, judge’s bench with support space. In addition, there is a law library including a print area and electronic access to off-site legal databases. The courtroom was fully furnished with current digital and audio-visual features to simulate a real-life courtroom situation. The room is equipped with cameras so students can record their performances and critique themselves.

The use of new and innovative technology allowed the project to meet the needs of the space and be highly energy efficient while aesthetically unifying the architectural design. Features also include a high-efficiency heating and cooling system that can adjust air quality on a room-by-room basis.