GW’s School of Business can officially begin moving into its new 22nd Street home on Nov. 1, after more than a year of construction on Duques Hall.
On a tour of the new building this week, officials told The Hatchet that construction of the business school home is almost complete, with final touches such as wiring and furniture being installed in each room. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, Duques Hall is the first building on campus to feature wireless Internet throughout the entire structure and will have a new eating venue on the ground floor.
Beginning next semester, the new business school home will seat 1,056 students in 22 classrooms and teaching labs. The structure, which cost GW $50 million to build, features lecture halls outfitted with sound systems and projectors and a capital market lab that will simulate the experience of working on the floor of a live stock exchange. The lab runs live stock tickers that are visible to passersby on 22nd Street. Welcoming visitors in the lobby is a metal globe with a star on D.C.
Senior Associate Business School Dean Prabir K. Bagchi said he hopes the construction of Duques Hall will propel the school to a higher academic status.
“I think this new building is going to charge up students and faculty. Hopefully, this way we can offer better programs and our students will be more satisfied,” he said. “These are exciting times for us.”
Duques Hall is six floors tall and spans a total of 168,553 square feet. David Wellman, executive project manager for the University, said the new building features several distinct architectural features, including enclosed glass study rooms, wood-paneled walls and seating areas outside classrooms. Duques Hall will connect to neighboring Funger Hall from the third to six floors.
Ultimately all seven business school departments will be housed under one roof. Currently, business school departments are spread throughout different buildings on campus.
“Having our business faculty together and having appropriate facilities is important,” Executive Vice President and Treasurer Louis Katz said. “Giving unique identities to programs, to schools, is important.”
In August, U.S. News and World Report ranked GW’s School of Business 47th in the nation, moving it up one spot from No. 48 last year. The business school consistently ranks among the top 50 schools and was ranked No. 19 for the University’s undergraduate international business specialty.
-Marissa Levy contributed to this report
