Steven D. Bell Hall | Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

S&ME provided comprehensive services for the Steven D. Bell Hall project at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, supporting the project from early geotechnical exploration through construction completion.

Our multidisciplinary team delivered geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, special inspections, non-destructive testing, and environmental services. Coordination across multiple S&ME offices and technical disciplines was essential to successfully delivering this complex, high-profile academic facility.

The project encompasses approximately 393,902 square feet of total programmed space, including a major new building addition and an existing parking deck. The 146,206-square-foot addition, located north of the McColl Building across Kenan Drive, establishes a new primary entrance to the business school along Blythe Drive. Site improvements enhance campus connectivity and pedestrian flow, featuring an exterior walkway along the west façade that links directly to a new pedestrian bridge. Cascading landscaped terraces and accessible decks further create a seamless north–south pedestrian experience across the site.

Scheduled to open for the Spring 2026 semester, Steven D. Bell Hall will significantly expand Kenan-Flagler’s academic and community spaces doubling capacity for classrooms, student life, and collaboration. The facility includes technologically advanced classrooms, a 40-seat outdoor tiered teaching space, a four-story atrium surrounded by collaboration, dining, and study areas, meeting and event spaces, dining facilities, and a variety of outdoor event terraces. Together, these spaces support innovative teaching, student engagement, and community interaction within a modern, integrated campus environment.