Business Leadership Building

UNT's new Business Leadership Building not only changes the campus landscape, it also shifts business education in a new collaborative direction. From the building's unprecedented technology to the organization of faculty offices, its design aims to help the college's nearly 6,000 students connect with professors, gain hands-on experience and gain access to information quickly.

"This facility reinforces our commitment to academic excellence and to becoming a leader in business education," says College of Business Dean Finley Graves. "The building's infrastructure will combine energy efficiency, high-tech amenities and more opportunities for faculty-student interaction."

Features include a securities trading floor, a corporate board room, a café, a strategically designed floor for faculty offices and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Trading floor

Students will have access to a securities trading floor featuring a live stock ticker and a dozen financial data terminals, similar to those used at the New York Stock Exchange. The trading floor will provide students with an interactive and first-hand understanding of securities trading.

Eco-friendly features

Sustainable materials and native Texas materials, such as limestone, were used in the construction of the building, adding to its environmentally friendly design. Innovative sun-control and light-control strategies are included in the layout, and the landscaping features plants native to Texas, which require less upkeep and watering. The Business Leadership Building is on track to receive Gold-level LEED certification. Read more about the UNT System's strides with LEED building.

Boardroom

The building features a corporate boardroom that can seat up to 40 people. Dallas-Fort Worth corporations are invited to hold meetings in the room, where students will sit in and observe as businesses outline strategy and discuss the future. The boardroom is one example of how the College of Business is leveraging the new building's features to connect students with professionals and support comprehensive business education.

Design

Architects organized the building's components — classrooms, lecture halls, faculty offices and gathering spaces — into a series of structures surrounding a public square. The design, the architects say, emphasizes human interaction, which is the core of all business, and provides students with a place to gather and interact with faculty and professionals. The third floor is dedicated to faculty offices and organized with meeting spaces to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations across departments.