After only five weeks of winter classes, the Lillis Business Complex has lived up to community expectations. Despite some students’ qualms about staircase design and a lack of quiet areas, the overall impression is positive as the building’s ambiance, technology and uncommon qualities continue to be praised.
Lacey Edwards, office assistant for the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business Career Services, gives frequent facility tours of Lillis and said that she loves the building’s “openness.”
“I really don’t think there is anything I don’t like about it,” she said.
Students and faculty say they still find themselves stopping to look at the unique design aspects of Lillis, from the colorful tile patterns of the ground floor to the outdoor patio on the fourth.
At night, the combination of spotlighting, track lighting and light reflection makes for a dazzling Christmas tree effect, from the inside out.
In addition, centered among the building’s casual meeting areas and windowed offices is the spiral staircase. Although the staircase succeeds in accommodating the hundreds of people who use it, people say the design makes for an exhausting trip to the third and fourth floors.
“It takes too long to get to class,” said one tardy student, who was too hurried to give her name.
Senior Kara Bigelow agreed.
“It’s pretty, but a little inconvenient,” she said, adding that it’s still great for people-watching.
Director of Technology and User Services Mick Westrick said that although the spiral staircase is the longest way up, its width allows for more people to cross paths compared to the east and west staircases.
“It is very inefficient,” he said. “But it looks really cool when a lot of people are using it.”
Although Bigelow likes the atmosphere, open space and creative architecture of Lillis, she said that the classroom technology is a little too complex for some professors.
“It’s humorous,” she said of the classes that have been held up by technological problems.
Despite some technology issues during the first week of classes, Westrick said the only glitch that has yet to be fixed is a wave of failed motion sensor light fixtures.
Assistant Professor of decision sciences John Goodale teaches in 132 Lillis, one of 14 tiered classrooms that offer automatic window shades and lights which can be dimmed at the flick of a switch.
“One of the features of the Lillis Complex I like most is the design of the classrooms for teaching,” Goodale said.
With the help of two large auditoriums, Lillis, combined with Chiles and Gilbert Halls, accounts for more than 20 percent of University classroom space, Westrick said.
Junior Sheng Zhen said that he likes Lillis because it’s so different from other buildings on campus.
Although the Knight Library is only three buildings away, Zhen said that he would like to see designated quiet areas in the building for studying.
“All the common areas are a little too distracting,” he said. “And I can’t always find a table.”
Last week, some student groups and clubs voiced concerns about their inability to reserve meeting rooms in Lillis. In response, Associate Dean of Academic Programs Dale Morse sent a memo to faculty and staff announcing that four interview rooms will be available for reservation through Career Services, located on the second floor.
With windows acting as walls to offices, classrooms and the Lillis Café, business school students and staff said the overall feeling of Lillis is open, inviting and far from suffocating.
“It’s the best business school I’ve ever been associated with,” Marketing Department Head Peter Wright said, adding that he worked at Stanford Graduate School of Business for 23 years.
“It’s got a terrific overall ambiance,” Wright added.