SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego, today celebrated the opening of its new building, Otterson Hall. The building was named in honor of the late William (Bill) Otterson, co-founder of UCSD CONNECT, in appreciation for his contributions to the San Diego business community and his impact on the region.
Strong community participation allowed the construction costs of Otterson Hall to be privately funded by Rady School supporters, including Ernest Rady and the Rady Family Foundation, whose $30 million charitable contribution represents the second largest philanthropic gift in the university’s history. The university named the Rady School of Management in recognition of this leadership support through “The Campaign for UCSD,” the university’s comprehensive fundraising initiative. UC San Diego contributed funds for infrastructure and planning expenses. The total cost of the building was approximately $43 million.
“Bill Otterson recognized the importance of educating leaders for growth industries, which is the mission of the Rady School of Management,” said UC San Diego Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. “Otterson Hall provides an exceptional setting for the Rady School to perpetuate Bill’s vision of preparing innovative business leaders for the region and beyond.”
Otterson Hall, designed by Ellerbe Becket of San Francisco, will have extensive programmatic uses for the Rady School and was specifically designed to encourage the interaction of the school with the campus and the wider San Diego community, blending academic and corporate cultures. The facility, which is approximately 50,000 assignable square feet, has classrooms, conference rooms and common areas for students, as well as faculty and staff offices. It will also host special events – the commencement ceremonies for the inaugural Full-Time MBA class will be held at Otterson Hall June 18.
“Tactical planning yielded a building that is adaptable and flexible,” said Ellerbe Becket Principal Bill Crockett. “Specifically, we looked at classroom configurations and sizes in terms of how they may accommodate a variety of teaching styles and academic disciplines.” In addition, Crockett said the new building will provide the full complement of resources for both teaching and research that will be instrumental in the recruitment of world-class faculty and students.
Otterson Hall construction began in September 2005, with PCL Construction Services serving as the general contractor. The building design features numerous environmentally sustainable innovations, including natural ventilation and daylighting/energy efficient lighting. The office chairs in Otterson Hall are made of recycled content, locally sourced and low-emitting materials and they are 98 percent recyclable. The Rady School also is in the process of installing solar panels on the roof of Otterson Hall to provide an added energy source for the building.
The Rady School of Management at UC San Diego educates global leaders for innovation-driven organizations. A professional school within one of the top-ranked institutions in the U.S. for higher education and research, the Rady School offers a Full-Time MBA program, a FlexMBA program for working professionals, undergraduate and executive education courses. Our lineage includes 16 Nobel Laureates (former and current faculty) and eight MacArthur Foundation award recipients. The Rady School is at the nexus of this research, development and innovation – it underlies our curriculum and our academic model.
An innovator since its founding, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, interiors, engineering and the construction industry, with office locations worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
Keri Peckham, 1-858-534-0855
