As work continues to progress well on the Goodman School of Business expansion, Andrew Gaudes is most looking forward to the sense of community the completed project will create.

The new Goodman Dean led The Brock News on a behind-the-scenes tour of the construction site Tuesday, Aug. 22, sharing his thoughts on the facility and its future potential.

“I think what we’re going to see is a place that has a gravitational pull for the business programs, for the business faculty, students, staff and the business community,” Gaudes said after a detailed walkthrough of the building. “They’re really going to have a sense of place when it’s completed in January 2019.”

The $22-million project is a combination of new construction and an ambitious overhaul of Goodman’s existing layout and facilities. It includes 79,000 square feet of new and renovated space, six new and nine renovated classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, a large two-storey engagement atrium, five employer interview rooms and the Bloomberg financial research lab, as well as additional study, research and office space.

Gaudes described the atrium, with a perimetre made of glass, as the “heart of the school.

“It’s going to be a major space for receptions, public events and speaking opportunities,” he said, while also emphasizing the role it will play as a hub of activity for students.

The space will be the first exposure many visitors have to Goodman and will include a sizeable video wall used for promoting events on campus and in the business community. Visible from outside the building at night, the screens will create “a real buzz coming from the business school that never existed before,” Gaudes said.

He believes all components of the expansion will add up to create an environment people will want to return to.

“A business school is about collaboration. It’s about water-cooler moments, gathering spaces, discussions and group meetings,” he said. “That’s what creates belongingness, retention, a sense of cohort and appreciation for the school and institution where you’re studying.”