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UMD Grand Opening for $23 Million
Labovitz School of Business and Economics
The environmental “Green Building” is awarded Gold
LEED Certification and it is the first new LEED Certified academic building
in Minnesota.
UMD held grand opening ceremonies on September 19 for the new $23 million
Labovitz School of Business and Economics. The school is named for
Duluth natives Sharon and Joel Labovitz who donated $4.5 million for the
new building. The gift is the largest ever for the School of Business
and Economics, and the second largest for UMD. The generosity of the Labovitz
family provided the impetus for legislative state funding.
At the grand opening event Joel Labovitz said, “We wish the best
of experiences, the best education, to anyone who has anything to do with
this school; now and forever." He went on to talk about his family's
connection to Duluth and UMD. " Our name has been associated with
Duluth since 1907, when the Labovitz family first arrived in the city.
Today, of all of those years, is the best day of all."
Located on the northwest corner of the UMD campus, the three-story structure
includes state-of-the-art facilities to provide business education in
a knowledge-based global economy. The 65,000 gross square foot building
contains the latest in advanced technology with modern computer labs,
facilities for distance learning and conferencing, and multipurpose classrooms.
The remarkable Financial Markets Lab, located just inside the front
entrance, provides students with hands-on learning and participation in
the financial markets.
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Having won the Gold Award in LEED certification--the Labovitz School of Business and Economics is the first new higher education building in the state of Minnesota to be a LEED certified “green building”. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a “green building” rating system established by the United States Green Building Council. The Labovitz School is totally designed to meet LEED certification--a rigorous process that evaluates the environmental sustainability of building design, construction and operation.
The LEED checklist concerns five major areas:
• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
“Thank you for the wonderful, wonderful facility," said LSBE
Dean Kjell Knudsen at the event. "We finally got a building which
displays the quality of the faculty and staff of the Labovitz School of
Business and Economics. Those are the people who, day-in-day-out, provide
the guidance students need to be successful.”
The modern, spacious building is organized around a three-story, sky-lit
common area surrounded by a two-level administrative block, a large 133-seat
auditorium and a rotated instructional wing containing classrooms for
40 and 60 students. The design serves to harvest daylight and reduce
the building’s energy consumption--while providing views to the
surrounding wetlands and Lake Superior.
Sharon and Joel Labovitz have donated eight original paintings from
their personal art collection. The large works--reaching four to
six feet--are displayed throughout the building, adding a dramatic flare
to the modern, open spaces of the school. The artist, Dr. Harold
Adams, is a personal friend of the Labovitz family. (See below for
a profile about Adams entitled “Art As Life”.)
Located next to the library, the new structure is oriented in an east/west
direction perpendicular to the existing campus development. The
result is the creation of a new gateway to the campus for those approaching
from the Northwest. Above the classroom wing is a layer of thin concrete
plates that seem to “float” above and extend westward
over Kirby Drive--thus creating a new front door and a literal gateway
to the campus.
The building is composed of a palette of natural materials including weathering
steel, exposed concrete and a system of multicolored patterned window
curtainwalls. The materials serve not only as reminders of the rich
industrial history that has shaped the growth of the Duluth area--but
also to further articulate the programmatic elements contained within
the building.
The internationally recognized architectural firm Perkins+Will (Chicago,
Ill.) led the project, with world-renowned architect Ralph Johnson as
principal designer. The local contractor was Oscar J. Boldt Construction
of Cloquet, Minn.
The Labovitz School of Business and Economics is the sixth new building
to be completed on the UMD campus since the year 2000. Currently under
construction is the Civil Engineering Building, set for completion in
Fall 2010.
Written by Susan Beasy Latto
ART AS LIFE
Dr. Harold Adams practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 30 years. When he was given a diagnosis the doctors believed was terminal – Hepatitis B, he chose to retire and spend the remainder of his life pursuing painting. He attended classes at Macalester College and then Hamline University, where the head of the art department suggested he go to graduate school. At Hamline, Adams developed what has become a lifelong friendship with Anne Labovitz and her family. Anne is the daughter of Sharon and Joel.
In 1991, at the age of 69, he entered the studio arts master’s program at the University of Minnesota from which he graduated with honors. Adams chronicled his painful journey with Hepatitis B through his art. “He just buried his head in his painting,” describes Anne. And then, doctors discovered the disease miraculously went away. He, and his friends and colleagues, believe that art literally saved his life.
In 2002, he had an exhibition at the Weisman Art Museum. The museum now has numerous works by Adams in its permanent collection. Adams’ work is characterized by his continual experimentation with unusual techniques, which have been described as almost surgical procedures. If it has been done before, he is not interested. One technique is the application of numerous coats of paint, which he sands and re-sands. He then collects the dust from the floor and reapplies it as additional layers.
Adams considers his paintings a diary of his life. “They are as natural as eating, and as necessary.”
To honor Sharon and Joel Labovitz, Adams has donated a number of his paintings to the Labovitz School of Business and Economics. The paintings will hang throughout the building.
“Dr. Adams’ paintings are remarkable and will make a great addition to the building. They also have an inspirational and exploratory nature to them, which can be a positive influence in the lives of these students as they search for knowledge and meaning,” says Anne.
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UMD Recent Building Projects Include:
Library, $26 million, open 2000
Weber Music Hall, $9.2 million, open 2002
Kirby Plaza, $20 million, open 2004
James I. Swenson Science Building, 33 million, open 2005
Sports and Health Center Addition $13 million, open 2006
Life Science Renovation, $15 million, open 2006
Labovitz School of Business & Economics $23 million, planned opening 2008
Bagley Environmental Classroom, planned opening 2009
Civil Engineering Building, planned opening 2010
UMD home page editor, Cheryl Reitan, creitan@d.umn.edu
NEW RELEASES, UMD media contact,
Susan Latto, slatto@d.umn.edu,
218-726-8830