Clemson University | Business School

As a land-grant institution, Clemson University is proud of its roots in agriculture and the applied sciences. The campus celebrates this legacy today with innovative architectural design and a tradition of ornamental horticulture. Both figure prominently in the design of Clemson’s new academic complex for the College of Business. Fronting on Bowman Field, the symbolic heart of the campus, the new complex features a dramatic six-story atrium that lights up the campus at night, glowing like a lantern box. A monumental staircase ascends the hillside between the atrium and the south pavilion, providing direct access up to a residential precinct. The lower half of the stair splits pedestrian flow around terraced planters and stepped seating that offers a great vantage point for watching military drills and other activity on Bowman Field. Stair planters feature a mix of native grasses and flowering perennials that suit the microclimates of this hanging garden while celebrating Clemson’s setting in the piedmont of South Carolina. A bosque of trees and a plaza along Walter T. Cox Boulevard serve as pre-function spaces for events in the south pavilion’s auditorium. The new complex is garlanded with rain gardens, bioretention basins and a stepped channel that comes alive with water effects after every storm.

2021 Recipient AIA SC Design Award