University of Arizona Finds Innovative Way to Expand McClelland Hall

TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona has announced its selection of GLHN Architects & Engineers, Inc. of Tucson and national design firm Gould Evans to complete a $3 million addition to McClelland Hall. The addition will require infilling two levels of the hall’s existing courtyard, creating a new space that will house the Eller College Professional Development Center.

The expansion of the Eller College Professional Development Center will increase the existing four-story building by roughly 10,000 square feet, providing additional program space without moving outside the facility’s original footprint. Instead, the bright, colorful and modern addition will be located in an open courtyard spanning the building’s second and third levels on the south side. Level two will retain an opening to the courtyard, while level three will connect at both the east and west sides.

The center is expected to play a critical role in maintaining the nationally recognized image of the university’s Eller College of Management, providing services for student skill development, job recruitment, donor recognition and sponsorship, according to a statement by GLHN.

GLHN has worked with the University of Arizona on major projects since the firm was founded over 50 years ago. Most recently, GLHN served as architect and engineer of record for the university’s Environment and Natural Resources 2 (ENR2) project, currently under construction on 6th Street, and designed temporary office space within Bear Down Gym during the renovation of Old Main.

GLHN will serve as Architect and Engineer of Record for the project, while Gould Evans will be Design Architect. The selected team also includes Holben Martin & White. The firm served as structural engineers of the original building, which was completed in 1993.

The Eller College Professional Development Center provides career services to students and requires additional space for staff and student activities. The center strives to empower a diverse student population that actively manages career choices in the global marketplace, to develop the best-prepared job seekers, and to maximize students’ chances for success by providing highly personalized services, according to the center’s website.

The school is also actively fundraising for the construction of a second building north of McClelland that would further expand the Eller College of Management, and has thus fair raised $42 million of its $65 million Phase I goal. A new building would allow growth in the undergraduate, MBA and executive education programs, and create an Eller mini campus within the UA, according to Make Eller Greater.