BOCA RATON – Lynn University will receive a $6 million initial gift this fall toward the construction of the new home for Lynn’s College of Business and Management—the $12 million International Business Center.
The gift is from an anonymous alumni donor who has challenged the school with raising an additional $3 million. Once this money is raised, the donor will provide another $3 million to complete the $12 million needed for construction.
“This gift is a game-changer and provides Lynn with the amazing opportunity to build a world-class structure to house our college of business,” said Lynn University President Kevin M. Ross. “We’ll be celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, and we look forward to working with our friends and supporters during this special time to make this building a reality for future Lynn students and faculty.”
Once the architectural plan is completed, the university will begin its official capital campaign for the new International Business Center. The building will be located at the current location of Ritter Hall, just south of the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center.
Construction is tentatively scheduled to be completed by April 2014.
The school is working with the architectural firm, Gensler, and the engineering firm, Buro Happold, to design the new building which features:
- 32,000 square feet of flexible spaces and common work areas to foster impromptu collaboration.
- a design that is targeting the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification—the highest level of certification awarded by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC)
- takes advantage of natural sunlight as a lighting source, decreasing the need for artificial lighting and will include rainwater harvesting to reduce the use of ground water
- will have space for outside organizations (for-profit and not-for-profit) to come into the college for selected, short-term projects
“This brilliant design will represent the confluence of what Lynn is about,” said Thomas Kruczek, dean of Lynn’s College of Business. “It places a high value on providing flexible places for different learning styles in a structure that places sustainability at the heart of its design. I can’t think of a better place to teach future business leaders the skills they’ll need to succeed in a dynamic and ever-changing global business environment.”
The building’s LEED design is a continuation of the schools aggressive efforts to improve the sustainability of its operations, which include the recent launch of the largest energy saving effort of its kind in Florida, designed to cut more than 30 percent from its utility spending thanks to an energy savings performance contract with Siemens Building Technologies Division.
In addition, the building’s focus on flexible and open spaces supports the school’s core belief in supporting all styles of learners with a focus on ensuring individual success.