Marquette University Opens Business School’s New Home

Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., recently opened the doors to its newest academic building, Dr. E. J. and Margaret O’Brien Hall. University news reports that the building will serve as the new home for Marquette Business and its associated leadership innovation programs, and faculty and staff have already started moving in.

The 100,000-square-foot facility came with a price tag of $60 million and is the largest fully donor-funded construction project in Marquette history, according to the news release. O’Brien Hall features amenities like collaborative classrooms, lab and study spaces, an event space, an open atrium, a café, and administrative space. It also features student support areas like a Student Success Center and a Business Career Center.

“O’Brien Hall welcoming its first occupants is another exciting milestone for this landmark project,” said Tim Hanley, acting Keyes Dean of Business Administration. “The new home for Marquette Business and innovation leadership programs has, since its earliest concepts, promised to be a hub of innovative, collaborative spaces where students, faculty, staff, and the business community will interact in meaningful ways. This building has always been about people—today, I’m pleased to say the people have arrived.”

About ten faculty and staff members, including the Executive Associate Dean and other members of the leadership team, have moved in. Remaining faculty and staff will transfer between Dec. 14 and Dec. 21, and the building will open its doors to students and classes at the beginning of the spring 2023 semester.

The new facility is located next to the Opus College of Engineering, and one space in O’Brien Hall is designated for collaboration between engineering and business students as part of the university’s Innovation Alley Program.

Local news reports that the university partnered with BNIM and Workshop Architects for the building’s design, and that J.H. Findorff & Son served as the general contractor.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • Tennessee Middle School Completes Health, Life Safety Renovations

    The Giles County Board of Education in Pulaski, Tenn., recently announced that a series of renovation projects has been completed at Bridgeforth Middle School, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers and Brindley Construction to modernize building systems at one of the district’s oldest schools.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.