The University of Cincinnati's original Carl H. Lindner College of Business building was in dire need of renovations. The Business College was a drab, plain brick structure that offered few modern amenities, lacked the space needed to accommodate the college's growth, and did not support a cohesive and inclusive business school setting. In 2016, UC made a $120 million investment in building the new 225,000-square-foot, COB facility, creating a 21st-century hub for students, faculty, and the Greater Cincinnati business community. Woolpert of Cincinnati, Ohio, was contacted by the school for the 4.5-acre renovation and quickly began work on the project.

 
The new building was part of the campus master plan, which called for innovative architectural and landscape designs to make campus life more inviting. UC took this opportunity to create a distinct plaza that would meet the needs of the next generation of business leaders. The new COB facility, designed with LEED Gold certification, would have a much larger footprint and serve as the centerpiece of the new plaza, connecting two distinct campus gathering places: Main Street and the Campus Green. It was designed to offer the latest communications technology that would feature flexible learning environments and collaborative spaces. The new Main Street North Plaza would support the goals, as well.
The building of the new COB was a collaborative effort between Henning Larsen Architects of Denmark, Cincinnati-based KZF Design, Turner Construction Co., and Woolpert, which provided structural engineering, prepared final construction documents, and partnered with internationally acclaimed Buro Happold for the preliminary engineering. Woolpert also provided site planning, design, and landscape architecture, as well as civil, electrical, and structural engineering for the plaza.
The COB building was dedicated in September 2019. The building was more than doubled the original program size from 103,000 to 225,000 square feet to accommodate its growing business student population. The facility features airy atriums, tiered classrooms, multistory cantilevered spaces, and sloping green roofs. Natural light floods indoors from inner courtyards through glass walls and skylights, while angular designs minimize heat exchange.
The Main Street North Plaza appropriately complements and elevates the COB. The plaza introduces an engaging and inclusive social destination that seamlessly flows into the Main Street and Campus Green landscapes to enhance safety and increase functionality. The design includes clearly defined pathways that align with the campus aesthetic. The design plan relocated a bus stop, removed a pedestrian barrier, and installed innovative bioswale rain gardens to support stormwater management and the environment.
This sustainable and aesthetically pleasing resource management solution provides an educational and experientially interesting expression of how to improve water management at a university known for its engineering expertise while mimicking the signature architectural character of UC. The design features restorations to existing spaces and enhances entries to the UC Engineering Research Center and the Campus Recreation Center. In November 2020, the UC Main Street North Plaza was awarded a Landscape Architecture and Community Planning Merit Award from the Cincinnati Design Awards program.
The UC COB and Main Street North Plaza provide a bold and beautiful, 21st-century university experience while advancing the campus master plan and its aesthetic standards. The world-class business college and its plaza were designed to be flexible, to support additions and functional changes in the future while making students feel safe and relaxed so they can learn, grow and build memories that will light the way for their future careers.
In November 2021, the COB was awarded the 2021 American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum- an international museum of architecture and design.