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ForImmediateRelease

UniversityofIllinoisAnnouncestheNewBohlinCywinskiJackson-designedSiebelCenterforDesign

CourtesyofBohlinCywinskiJackson

Wilkes-Barre,PA(October4,2016)–TheThomasandStaceySiebelFoundationandtheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaigntodayannounceda$25milliongifttoestablishtheSiebelCenterforDesign.Thenewtwo-storybuilding,designedbydistinguishedarchitecturalpracticeBohlinCywinskiJackson,willbeacampus-widehubforstudent-focuseddesignthinkingandlearning.Prominentlylocatedononeofthemajorcampusaxes,thenew68,000-square-footfacilitywillconnectthenorthandsouthareasofcampusandsupportinstructionandresearchinundergraduateandgraduateprogramsacrossmultipledisciplines.Ratherthanofferindependentdegreeprograms,theCenterwillhelpcollegesincorporatedesignprinciples,conceptsandpracticesintotheirownofferings.“Thesizeandstrengthofdesign-relatedteachingandresearchatIllinoisisakeyreasonwhytheSiebelCenterforDesignwillbeunmatchedinitstransformativeimpact,”saidInterimProvostEdwardFeser.“Astate-of-the-artfacilitythatconnectsdisciplinesandhelpsembedtheoriesandpracticesofdesignintheeducationalexperiencewillpositionIllinoisastheplacetogoforstudentswhowanttopreparethemselvestosolvegrandchallengesandmakesignificantchange.”

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AteamfromBohlinCywinskiJackson’sWilkes-Barre,Pennsylvania,officedevelopedthebuilding’sdesignconceptfromextensiveresearchbasedonspaceplanning,organizationalstructureandbuildingsystemscreatedtosupportanonlinearapproachtoinstruction.UnderstandingthetypeoflearningtooccurintheCenter,whichwillfocusonexperience-baseddiscoveryprocesses,conceptualizationandprototyping,ledtoanarchitecturaldesignandprogrammaticsolutionthatwillmaximizeteamwork,flexibilityandtransparency.TheCenterwillfeaturefiveteam-basedcollaborationstudiosforupto100students,includingonestudioforlarge-scaleconstructionandgradedaccessforfull-sizedprototypes.Itwillalsoincludeaworkshopfor3Dprinting,metalfabrication,laserandwater-jetcutting,andcomputer-controlledmachining.Twodigitalmediastudioswillsupportvideoandaudiorecording,aswellastechnologiesforvirtualrealityapplications.Therewillalsobepublicgatheringspaces,meetingroomsandgalleriestoencouragemoreinformalinteraction.TomSiebel,whoearnedanundergraduatedegreeinhistoryandgraduatedegreesinbusinessadministrationandcomputersciencefromtheUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign,conceivesthenewCenterasafacilityandresourcetobringstudents,facultyandexternalstakeholdersfrommanyfieldstogethertosolvereal-worldchallenges.“ThecombinationoftoptieracademicsandentrepreneurialdriveatUIispowerful.Byinfusingallareasofstudywiththemultidisciplinaryapproachesofdesignthinking,thisfacilitywillcreateunlimitedopportunitiesforUIstudentstofuelandnurturethatdrive,”saysSiebel.GroundbreakingfortheSiebelCenterforDesignisplannedforthesummerof2017withconstructionexpectedtotakeapproximately18months.AboutBohlinCywinskiJacksonFoundedin1965,isanationalarchitecturepracticenotedforelegantandhumanedesign,rangingfrommodesthousestolargeacademic,civic,culturalandcorporatebuildings.Todate,thefirmhasreceivedmorethan650regional,nationalandinternationalawardsfordesign,includingthreeAIATopTenGreenProjectAwardsandtheAIAArchitectureFirmAward.Thefirmiswell-knownforitsworkwithApple,designingstoressuchastheiconicFifthAvenuecubeinNewYorkCityandflagshipstoresworldwide.ThepracticehasalsocreatedheadquartersforPixar,AdobeandSquare,andcityhallsinSeattleandNewportBeach,CA.FormoreinformationpleasevisitBCJ.com.AboutThomasM.SiebelMr.SiebelisthechairmanandchiefexecutiveofficerofC3IoT,anenterprisePaaSandSaaSsoftwarecompanythatenablescompaniestodesign,develop,deploy,provision,andoperatelarge-scaleIoTapplications.C3IoTappliesthepowerofbigdata,advancedanalytics,socialnetworking,machinelearning,andcloudcomputingtoenabletherapiddevelopmentofIoTSaaSsystems.Mr.Siebelwasthefounder,chairman,andchiefexecutiveofficerofSiebelSystems,oneoftheworld’sleadingsoftwarecompanies,whichmergedwithOracleCorporationinJanuary2006.Foundedin1993,SiebelSystemsrapidlybecamealeaderinapplicationsoftwarewithmorethan8,000employeesin32countries,over4,500corporatecustomers,andannualrevenueinexcessof$2billion.

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AbouttheThomasandStaceySiebelFoundationTheThomasandStaceySiebelFoundation,establishedin1996,fundsprojectstosupportenergysolutions,educationalandresearchprograms,publichealth,andthehomelessandunderprivileged.ThomasSiebelisthefounderandchair.

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