Graduate School of Business The Mills MBA Program
View the webcam 

In 2008, Mills began construction on an environmentally sustainable new facility to house the growing student enrollment in the Mills MBA Program. The new facility will occupy a visible position on the main campus entryway and reflect the vision and vitality of an institution focusing on the future. Award-winning architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed a bold building that captured Mills' values and institutional character. Encompassing the best of contemporary architecture and educational technology, the 28,500-square-foot facility will stand as a compelling statement about the importance of educating women to be leaders.

The Graduate School of Business facility will feature wide, shaded terraces across the building's front and sides, extending collaboration and community from the interior to the outdoors. Two lecture halls with tiered seating for 50 students and four classrooms for 25 to 40 students will provide space for an expanding enrollment, while breakout rooms and a student lounge will support focused teamwork and informal group discussion. The centerpiece of the building will be a spectacular Gathering Hall, flanked by an exterior terrace and iris pond.

Multimedia technology—such as podcasting, wired and wireless areas in "smart" classrooms, and a state-of-the-art computer laboratory—will facilitate Internet access and information sharing locally, regionally, and globally.

The Graduate School of Business facility is designed to meet the high standards required to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification as a green building, demonstrating Mills' commitment to the environment and to educating socially and environmentally responsible business leaders. Sustainable features will include a spectacular green roof planted with drought-tolerant sedum; energy-efficient, radiant-heated floors; an evaporative cooling system; the use of low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints; and a specially designed rainwater collection system. Even the wood from a Montezuma cypress tree that was removed from the building site will be crafted into custom furniture for the building's public areas.

Following the level of achievement set by Mills' Betty Irene Moore Natural Sciences Building, the Graduate School of Business will become the second LEED-certified facility on campus. The new building is slated to open in fall 2009.

Architectural Rendering:
©Dick Sneary, Sneary Architectural Illustration