Arching in the skyline of Serra Street overlooking the Knight Management Center complex, students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) will be hard-pressed to miss the soon-to-be-completed Highland Hall. With its stark purple finish shimmering brightly in the California sun, the state-of-the-art building is a striking, modern accent to the campus. However, the most striking feature about it may not be the captivating exterior but rather its intended use: as a residency for first-year MBA students.
The $75 million project is nearing completion after initially breaking ground two years ago. Design firms Legorreta + Legorreta of Mexico City and Steinberg Architects of San Jose collaborated on the project, which features a three- and four-story building, 202 living units for students and a 4,100-square-foot open pavilion soon to be accessible to anyone on campus. The building is connected to the previously completed 280-unit Schwab Residential Center, which was also designed by the same firms.
“We are thrilled to open Highland Hall and welcome the Class of 2018 to the expanded Stanford GSB Residences,” said new Stanford GSB Dean Jonathan Levin in a statement. “The new Highland Hall provides students with more space for collaboration as well as informal gatherings, supporting the goal of the GSB Residences to foster a vibrant community that is fully integrated with the GSB experience.”
The new facility is intended to create a relaxing, naturalistic atmosphere that blends with the eye-popping designs, according to Margaret Long Hayes, assistant dean of the MBA program. “The GSB Residences offer students an inclusive and engaging home that supports safety and wellness,” she said in a statement.
The news of the building’s impending completion comes on the heels of Stanford GSB’s release of class profile details for its incoming class, which boasted a record-high number of applications and minority enrollment, as well as the highest average GMAT score for entering students among all leading business schools.
Read more about Highland Hall here.
*Lead image by Elena Zhukova: Upward-looking view of new building’s tower
