The New Darla Moore School of Business

On behalf of Net Impact we would like to say thank you! We are proud to attend a school where it is a priority to create a new building that is both LEED Platinum and Net-Zero, meaning it will generate all of the energy it consumes. This is truly a monumental undertaking.

Re-posted from the Moore School website. See the video of the groundbreaking and photos here.

On Friday, September 23, the Moore School broke ground for its new home, which will be located at the corner of Assembly and Greene streets next to the Carolina Coliseum. The building has created a buzz not only for its iconic design by Raphael Viñoly Architects of New York, but also for its green features.

The building’s cantilevered and glass design maximizes natural light within and, with its open interior, encourages openness and collaboration. The Moore School’s new building is designed to enhance learning, research and collaboration and will set a new standard for innovation and energy efficiency in higher-education facilities.

The main level houses a visitor’s center, a café, a trading room with stock market ticker boards and doors that open outward to an expansive, open-air courtyard.

The third and fourth levels provide views below of the Palmetto Court, a green space that features groupings of lush sable palms, and the Pavilion, a free-standing space for lectures and special events.

The new school was designed with interaction and collaboration in mind. Every level will have open spaces with flexible furnishings, outlets for technology and white boards that students, faculty, staff and others can use and adapt for ad hoc meetings or team projects. Even the large open stairwells are designed to encourage interaction.

The first floor is the learning level. It features a variety of classrooms, all designed with technology and flexibility for student project collaboration in mind. It also features a 500-seat lecture and performance hall, the result of a partnership with and support from the School of Music. The café will have extended hours, serving visitors who attend events in the hall.

The third floor features executive education, classrooms outfitted with advanced telepresence technology, a conference center with meeting spaces and administrative offices. Faculty offices and a research lab are located on the fourth floor.

The roof, which features green turf to reduce heat and improve energy efficiency, is one of the myriad sustainable features of the building. Designs incorporate goals for earning a LEED Platinum and a Net-Zero rating, meaning that it will generate as much energy as it consumes. The Moore School was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to partner with its national laboratories in its Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Partnership program. As a result of the partnership, the Moore School has benefitted from expertise in energy technologies and building systems and design and operating practices.

If sustainability goals are achieved, it will be among the greenest facilities in the Southeast.

Its design will maximize natural light and shade for cooling. Occupants will benefit from outdoor views and light, pristine air quality and control of heating, air and lighting in their own spaces.