By Brad Haney – Contributor
UNO’s South Campus recently added a 120,000-square-foot addition with Mammel Hall.
The three-story structure is the new home to the College of Business Administration.
Construction began in June 2008 and was completed this fall. The building’s list of impressive features includes interactive touch screen as well as digital displays showing historical and general information pertaining to the school.
Classrooms are equipped with smaller digital displays to show relevant events, including class and meeting times.
The building’s three levels are lined with private rooms where students can collaborate, study and relax undisturbed.
Large – screen televisions are abundant in the building, as are LCD monitors. Additional features include laboratories for investment science, innovation and entrepreneurship, executive decision-making and technology, all of which will enhance the education process and accommodate a wide range of presentations.
The building also features a two-story, 190-seat auditorium; lounge areas for students; a café with food supplied by Wohlner’s Grocery, bridges and skywalks linking areas of the building; and glass-walled classrooms and meeting rooms outfitted with computer hookups.
Director of Technology David Nielsen said Mammel Hall is the first and only building certified on campus by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is an internationally recognized “green” – building certification system and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
LEED gives building owners and operators what they need to make an immediate and measurable impact on a buildings’ performance. The program promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
“Mammel Hall is the first and only building on campus to have a fully integrated network,” Nielsen said. “The phone, computers, cable TV, security cameras, digital signs and even the clocks use the same network.”
Nielsen also said Mammel Hall is the first building on campus to use Thin Client technology in all student labs, which furthers the technological gap between this building and others on campus.
The new building is named after Carl and Joyce Mammel for their philanthropic gift, the largest in UNO history. The $41.5-million project included $34 million for construction, furnishings and technology. The remaining $7.5 million is being directed to an endowment to enhance CBA programs and to benefit students and faculty.
