The Bloch Executive Hall for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has won the Cornerstone Award in the public projects category for its contribution to the Kansas City community.
Bloch Executive Hall, the second building for the at the , was one of three projects in the category. In addition to its contributions to the Kansas City community and economy, it also was selected for its contribution to student learning and for its innovative, open and sustainable design.
“The Bloch Executive Hall provides a new environment for our students, which serves them in experiential learning – highly interactive learning where classrooms can be moved around easily and quickly for group discussions,” said Bob Simmons, associate vice chancellor, UMKC Administration. “It creates a bright, open, energy-efficient and sustainable building for our students and the campus.”
The 68,000-square-foot Bloch building features active learning classrooms, including a simulated trading floor, design-led innovation lab and behavioral science research space, providing an experiential learning experience for students. The design-led innovation lab includes design simulation and prototyping areas where students can iterate and test ideas. The building also features a 16-screen video wall and three giant skylights that provide maximum natural light throughout the day.
The building opened in August 2013.
The other projects in the public category were Helzberg Penguin Plaza at the Kansas City Zoo and the Line Creek Trail. For additional information and a list of the winners in all categories, visit EDC .
Reviewed 2014-06-11