Perched at one of the highest points on campus, UD’s newest academic building, SB Hall, home of the the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business, was awarded the Commercial Construction Project of the Year by the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce. 

SB Hall overlooks the Dallas skyline and houses faculty and staff offices for UD’s business college. It’s a focal point for the university and its students. Alumni Satish, MBA ’81, and Yasmin, MBA ’82, Gupta donated $12 million, the highest donation UD has ever received, to build SB Hall; the 45,000-square-foot, three-story building opened for classes this January.

“We’re very proud and honored that we’ve been chosen for this award for our building,” said UD’s Executive Vice President Bob Galecke. “We would like to thank both the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and the selection committee for picking SB Hall as the Commercial Construction Project of the Year. This is a huge honor for the university.”

Galecke and UD had no idea that the building was even a contender, let alone a finalist, for the award until the day of the ceremony.

“It was as good as the Oscars,” said Galecke.

The building incorporates classrooms on every floor and serves as a gathering place for students with abundant study lounges.

“It’s a university building for any and all,” said Galecke. “Our building is multipurpose and multifunctioning.”

The building also features a full production studio, a financial markets lab, and dozens of study nooks, alcoves, lounges and student gathering places.

From Constantin students in the morning to graduate business students in the evening, SB Hall houses classes from all over the university.

“We have to almost kick people out at midnight,” Galecke said.

“SB Hall is the centerpiece of our business program, and receiving this award is an honor and provides further evidence of our commitment to excellence in education,” said Greg Bell, associate dean of faculty affairs and associate professor of management. “We are so pleased that our integrated team effort on creating a sustainable building has been so successful. This award is a gratifying recognition of our efforts and our commitment to the Irving community.”

The building was designed by Perkins+Will, a national leader in higher education architecture, and was constructed by The Beck Group, a third-generation, family-owned Dallas firm.

In April, SB Hall obtained the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Building Design and Construction designation. SB Hall earned the Silver level, which factored in a number of aspects, from the wall thickness to the light bulb wattage to the bicycle rack out front.