Wichita State University Woolsey Hall, Barton School of Business

Overview

Opportunity

Solution

Impact

Team

Wichita State University’s (WSU) Woolsey Hall advances business education by creating a workplace-inspired setting where students learn alongside the industries they will shape.

Location

Wichita, Kansas

Client

Wichita State University

Expertise

Education Brand Design Digital Experience Design Strategy

Opportunity

WSU envisioned a business school connected to its Innovation Campus and industry partners, bridging the gap between academic learning and professional life.

As WSU expanded its Innovation Campus and strengthened partnerships with leading companies, the Barton School of Business needed a new home that reflected the changing nature of business education. Through engagement with faculty, students, administrators, advisory board members, and business partners, the university envisioned a place where professional networks could develop alongside academic knowledge. For a student population in which more than 45% are first-generation college students, creating access to those connections was especially important. The new building could make professional exposure part of the everyday student experience.

Why This Matters

01
Expanding Access
With more than 45% of first-generation college students, Woolsey Hall expands access to networks and experiences that can support career advancement.
02
Strengthening Community
Bringing faculty departments and administration together creates new opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching, research, and resource sharing across the Barton School.
03
Designed for Growth
Planning for future enrollment within an efficient footprint gives Wichita State flexibility as academic programs and priorities evolve.

Gensler consistently acted as a proactive, collaborative partner, anticipating challenges, communicating clearly, and working side-by-side with the university and project partners to resolve complex issues.

Solution

Woolsey Hall blurs the boundaries between academic and professional life, combining workplace-inspired learning, faculty collaboration, and industry engagement within a connected campus environment.

Designed to reflect how business happens today, Woolsey Hall brings classrooms, faculty workplaces, business centers, and collaboration spaces together in one cohesive environment. Faculty departments and administration are co-located for the first time, while flexible learning spaces support different teaching styles and future growth. Dedicated spaces for business partners make industry interaction part of everyday student life. Extending that idea beyond the building, the airplane-wing-inspired Promise Bridge physically and symbolically connects Woolsey Hall to Wichita State’s Innovation Campus.

From brief to build: stakeholder insight and workplace data shaped a business school designed around how students learn, faculty work, and industry connects.

The design process combined extensive engagement with evidence-based workplace planning to shape the building’s program and experience. Visioning sessions with faculty, students, university leadership, advisory board members, and business partners established priorities for learning and industry engagement. These insights were paired with Gensler's Workplace Performance Index data and utilization modeling to optimize the program and support future growth. The same process shaped the Promise Bridge. Early concepts tested how a connective structure could read as both wayfinding and a metaphor, landing on a form drawn from Wichita's own aerospace industry.

A Metaphor for Connection

Early concepts positioned the Promise Bridge as both intuitive wayfinding and a symbol of the academic journey.

Impact

The new building creates a more dynamic academic experience with spaces that encourage students and faculty to connect, exchange ideas, and stay engaged beyond class.

Learning now extends beyond the classroom, with professional experiences embedded throughout the school and stronger opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and collaboration.

What Changed Because of This

01
Career Readiness
Workplace-inspired learning environments immerse students in the collaboration, technology, and professional experiences they'll encounter throughout their careers.
02
Breaking Down Silos
Bringing previously separate departments together gives the Barton School a stronger foundation for sharing ideas, resources, and expertise as business education continues to evolve.
03
Campus Connection
The Promise Bridge creates a direct connection between Wichita State's academic and Innovation campuses, emphasizing the relationship between education and industry.

The future of business education isn’t defined by what happens inside a classroom alone. Woolsey Hall gives students space to build relationships and professional confidence.

Recognition

01

Interior Design Magazine

Featured Wichita State University's Woolsey Hall, highlighting design elements that nod to local industry and the building's multi-purpose design.

02

Buildings Magazine

“This innovative space is a master class in educational design.”

03

Keeper of the Plains Award

Woolsey Hall won the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Keeper of the Plains Award, recognizing outstanding local architecture that enhances the beauty of the community.

Team

Project Leadership

Meghan Webster

Meghan is a Principal and Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Chicago office, where she pairs strategic leadership with a deeply people-centered approach. She grows the business by investing in talent, building trusted client relationships, and empowering teams to deliver ambitious work together.

[FPO] Brian Watson

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[FPO] Ryan Depersia

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Brian Vitale

Brian is a Principal and Co-Managing Director of Gensler’s Chicago office, whose award-winning work deftly brings together the poetic and pragmatic sides of architecture. For nearly 30 years, he has inspired and led interdisciplinary teams in creating thoughtful, progressive design solutions for clients, institutions, and communities.

FAQ

01

How does Woolsey Hall prepare students for today's workforce?

Woolsey Hall combines workplace-inspired learning environments, industry collaboration spaces, and experiential classrooms that connect academic learning with professional practice.

02

How does the design support collaboration across academic departments?

For the first time, faculty departments and administration are co-located within a connected workplace, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching, research, and resource sharing.

03

How does Woolsey Hall connect Wichita State's campuses?

Located between the university's historic campus and Innovation Campus, Woolsey Hall serves as a gateway that physically and symbolically connects education with industry.

04

What spaces are included in Woolsey Hall?

The building includes classrooms, business centers, executive meeting spaces, faculty workplaces, a café, rooftop deck, and open study and collaboration spaces.

05

How does the building support partnerships with industry?

Business centers, executive meeting spaces, event venues, and collaborative environments provide dedicated places for employers, researchers, and students to work together throughout the academic year.

06

What can other universities learn from this project?

The project shows how data, engagement, and flexible planning can help schools align faculty, student learning, and partner collaboration.

Related Work

project

Wichita State University Campus Master Plan

Gensler’s 10-year master plan with Wichita State University (WSU) connects the University’s academic and Innovation campuses, creating a more walkable environment for learning, research, and community.