AIA South Carolina Awards Reflection: Exceptional Projects & Visionary Clients

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

In this time of reflection and celebration, Liollio is so grateful to our wonderful clients who invest in great buildings to serve their communities! Cheers to our colleagues and clients who were recognized in 2024 with AIA South Carolina Design Awards, recognizing this vision and commitment to design excellence. We are honored to have collaborated on these four American Institute of Architects South Carolina award-winning projects.

AIA South Carolina has recognized the City of Charleston with an AIA South Carolina Honor Award for Carr-Richardson Park, James Island Public Service District with an AIA South Carolina Merit Award for the new James Island PSD Fire Station 1 Headquarters, The University of South Carolina with an AIA South Carolina Citation Award for the preservation of the South Caroliniana Library, and Landmark Enterprises with an AIA South Carolina Merit Award for the rehabilitation of Old City Jail.

Exceptional projects are the result of collaboration with visionary clients. Liollio congratulates our clients and collaborators on these amazing accolades!

MUSC Breaks Ground on New College of Medicine & Administrative Building

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Liollio Architecture, in collaboration with [tag The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM)], is proud to be part of the journey to redefine medical education in South Carolina. The new Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine & Administrative Building will provide a space for students, staff, and faculty to support innovation and progress in medicine, education, and research. We celebrate MUSC’s leadership in education and their commitment to excellence as they break ground on this facility. Congratulations to the MUSC community on this milestone! Take a sneak peek at the new MUSC College of Medicine below.

College of Charleston’s Albert Simons Center for the Arts Celebrates Grand Re-Opening

Our team was thrilled to celebrate the grand re-opening of the College of Charleston’s Albert Simons Center for the Arts. We were honored to present the College with a plaque reflecting its certification of Two Green Globes by the Green Building Initiative, in recognition of their commitment to sustainability. The Renovation and Expansion of the Simons Center, home of studio art, music, theatre, dance and more, had four leading goals: Modernizing Arts Education, Sustainability & Resiliency in the Urban Coastal Environment, Connecting History and the Future, and Showcasing the Arts. 

The revitalized School of the Arts building includes a new Black Box Theatre, new studios for sculpture, printmaking, drawing & painting, theatre design, costume shop, music classrooms, practice rooms, and a scene shop, in addition to active learning classrooms for Art History and Arts Management, faculty offices and spaces for student gathering. A new transparent Commons, that doubles as student gathering in the day and pre-function space in the evening, was added to welcome visitors in from the Green Way to experience the arts. 

President Hsu and Dean Jayme Host spoke at the opening, saying “this beautiful building bolsters our position as the artistic heartbeat of Charleston, as these spaces benefit our students as well as the community."  The reimagined Simons Center has ~100,000 SF of bright and colorful spaces that are inviting to students and visitors alike. The colors featured throughout the building are inspired by iconic architectural features found on campus along Green Way, College Way, and the Cistern Yard, such as the blue-green door of Towell Library and the rich coral color of Randolph Hall.

We would like to thank and congratulate College of Charleston and our entire AE team on the completion of this exciting and collaborative project! We can’t wait to attend all the exhibits and performances this fall! For more information on upcoming events, visit http://calendar.charleston.edu/simmons-center.

National Preservation Month: Celebrating USC's South Caroliniana Library

May is National Preservation Month, celebrating the nation's heritage through historic places. As we reflect on this, Liollio would like to congratulate the University of South Carolina on completing the restoration of the South Caroliniana Library, c.1840 — one of the premier research archives and special collections repositories in South Carolina and the Southeast region.

It's striking how personal much of USC’s library collections are: Mary Boykin Chesnut’s Civil War-era diaries, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s walking cane, Pat Conroy’s side-by-side shotgun, Ron McNair’s personal effects as an African American astronaut who died aboard the Challenger. Bringing these artifacts into public view is our greatest joy with this project, and that joy is amplified by the beauty of the restored Bulfinch Reading Room.

For more information about South Caroliniana Library’s history, visit USC’s University Libraries website.
Photography // Keith Isaacs // @keithisaacsphoto // isaacsphoto.com

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Liollio Welcomes New Team Members Erin Estep & Nate Stoltenberg

View fullsize

Erin Estep AIA, LEED AP

View fullsize

Nate Stoltenberg Associate AIA

Liollio Architecture is pleased to welcome Architect, Erin Estep, and Designer, Nate Stoltenberg, to its studio.

A native of Delaware, Erin Estep earned her Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architecture at The Catholic University of America in Washington DC. Erin believes good design maintains strong connections to design concepts and client missions. As an Architect and Project Manager, Erin has been able to hone a skillset that ranges from client and team management to technical architectural skills. Her ambitions for continued growth and high design drives her to a detail-oriented, efficient work ethic, with a focus on delivering the best quality spaces for end users.

Upon graduating from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Nate Stoltenberg relocated from Des Moines, Iowa to the Charleston area to join the Liollio studio as a Project Designer. Nate has a passion for sustainability and resiliency, which are important factors of responsible Lowcountry design. The representation of unique designs have been at the forefront of Nate’s education and interest. He values the process of physical model making as well as mixed media visual representation. Nate and Erin are valuable additions to the Liollio team, contributing in pinups, jumping into production, and elevating firm culture.

USC's South Caroliniana Library Ribbon Cutting & Grand Reopening

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The ribbon cutting for the University of South Carolina's South Caroliniana Library took place in Columbia recently and was a huge success! The library is our nation's oldest freestanding academic library and underwent meticulous renovation. Liollio is honored to have been part of the team who helped preserve this important and historic building for generations to come! Learn more about South Caroliniana Library, which houses the stories and the treasures of our state – from its leaders to its ordinary citizens. go.sc.edu/CarolinianaReopening

USCB Hilton Head Campus Awarded AIA Charleston Design Award

Liollio is excited to announce that the University of South Carolina-Beaufort’s Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus received an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Charleston Merit Award for New Construction at the 2023 AIA Charleston Design Awards. Congratulations to our clients and friends at USCB Hilton Head!

This 40,000 SF facility is a new resource for USCB’s Hospitality Department in Beaufort and for Hilton Head Island, Beaufort County and Jasper County's thriving hospitality industry. The design is harmonious with natural surroundings, incorporates campus culture and island character, and reflects the island’s ecological design principles and sustainable practices by achieving Two Green Globes sustainability certification. The entry portico mimics the architectural style of the Old Beaufort College Building, referencing the history of the University while also reflecting its evolution. In addition to State and USCB program requirements, municipal aesthetic requirements are unique to the Island. The team led a successful collaborative effort to develop the design of this much needed school and event space for the Region. Liollio, in association with Bialosky, carefully developed the iconic design for this two-story facility. The site design focuses on preserving the island’s natural aesthetic through sensitive redevelopment. The design limits disruption to the environment, enhances the existing natural elements, and incorporates natural materials and finishes.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Liollio Architecture Elevates Team Members to Associate

View fullsize

Liollio Architecture is pleased to announce the elevation of Lance Eubanks, Liz Corr, and Sarah Glass to Associate. The Liollio team celebrates their accomplishments and looks forward to their continued leadership. Congratulations to our new Associates!

Lance Eubanks, AIA, LEED AP, a Mississippi native, earned a Bachelor of Architecture at Mississippi State University. Lance has worked on multiple project types, including Biomedical Research Centers, Federal and Municipal projects, Higher Education Learning Environments, and Healthcare Facilities – always drawing his inspiration from the people who occupy these buildings. He fosters an encouraging and collaborative environment on each of his project teams. Lance is a member of AIA South Carolina and an alumnus of the AIA Christopher Kelley Leadership Development program. Prior to joining Liollio, Lance worked as a Project Manager and Project Designer in Washington DC. 

Liz Corr, AIA, GGP, is a native of Philadelphia, PA. She completed her undergraduate education at Shippensburg University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics before completing her Master of Architecture at Clemson University. Liz’s professional experience includes projects in the Community, K12, Higher Education, and Federal markets. Her passion lies in education, library, and other community-centered design, where she believes architecture can have the most influential and positive impact. Liz is a member of AIA South Carolina, a board member with the Charleston Chapter of the ACE Mentor Program of America, and an Aqua Angel and regular volunteer with the Charleston Parks Conservancy.

Sarah Glass, AIA, a native of Charleston, received her Bachelor of Design in Architecture at the University of Florida and her Master of Architecture at Clemson University. She believes that the built environment has an incredible amount of influence on people’s lives. Sarah’s professional experience includes K12, Higher Education, Community, and Federal projects. She is the current AIA Charleston President, a past-chair of AIA SC’s Equity in Architecture Committee, and is involved with the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston. Sarah is a studio leader, consistently bringing passion, confident direction, and expertise to the studio and on every phase of a project that she’s involved in.

Big Changes Coming to CofC’s Simons Center for the Arts

The Simons Center opened at 54 St. Philip St. in 1979 | Images via CofC

Charleston City Paper
Samantha Connors
September 7, 2021

The 42-year-old Albert Simons Center for the Arts, located at 54 St. Philip St., is getting ready for a facelift. Opened in 1979, the center was originally built to accommodate a maximum of 800 students, but with increased admissions, the Simons Center serves more than five times that number these days according to College of Charleston’s School of the Arts Dean Edward Hart.

“The Simons Center has been great, but after 40 years, it needs a little work,” he said in a press release. “Better facilities make for a better environment. Everybody wants to be in a place where it looks and feels nice, and where there’s appropriate space.”

The multimillion dollar renovation project will expand the building from 87,365 square feet to 99,000 square feet with additional classrooms and performance space.

Other new features will include larger classrooms, new seminar rooms, a two-story black-box theater, costume shop, scene shop and theater design studio, sculpture, printmaking and drawing studios, music practice rooms and more.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re delighted,” said Hart. “We are so appreciative of the College’s administration for supporting us. You know, when times are tough, very often the arts take it on the chin. And our administration has shown the foresight to really stand by us with this project, which indicates that the arts really are a priority for the College.”

Construction will begin this fall and art classes will be moved to other areas of the campus and city including the former Redux building at 136 St. Philip St., the Lightsey Center and the Calhoun Annex. Renovations are expected to be complete by spring 2023.

Liollio Architecture and HGA Design Firm are tackling the redesign of the building and plan to incorporate bright colors that allude to familiar campus features like the Towell Library’s green door and Randolph Hall’s coral colored walls.

The renovation will not only make more run for incoming students but also help the school secure its place in Charleston’s flourishing art community.

“There really isn’t an artistic institution in this town that we aren’t somehow involved with, whether it’s a direct relationship or partnership or whether it’s our graduates that are over there or our faculty members,” said Hart, referencing the college’s involvement with many major art events and venues like Spoleto Festival USA and the Charleston Gaillard Center.

“We can just go on and on, and I think it’s time for us to claim that. Charleston is an arts city and we’re at the heart of it.”

The interior will feature some familiar elements, updated

College of Charleston Arts Building Set for Multimillion-Dollar Overhaul

A rendering shows a design of what the renovated Albert Simons Center could look like from St. Philip Street. College of Charleston/Provided

By Maura Hogan mhogan@postandcourier.com
The Post and Courier
Sep 3, 2021

The College of Charleston is set to begin a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Albert Simons Center for the Arts.

It realizes a plan that was set in motion by the college years ago.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re delighted,” School of the Arts Dean Edward Hart said in a statement.

From the project’s onset, the college estimated its cost at $50 million. The arts center, which is on St. Philip Street on the college campus, will be closed for the next two years while the 42-year-old building’s renovation is completed. The renovation will upgrade classrooms and performance spaces as well as the building’s technology and infrastructure. Construction is slated to begin in late September.

The College of Charleston’s Albert Simons Center for the Arts will undergo extensive renovations. File/Brad Nettles/Staff

Designed by Liollio Architecture and HGA Design Firm, the reimagined Simons Center is conceived to be inviting to students, featuring colors inspired by iconic architectural features found on campus, such as the blue-green door of Towell Library and the coral color of Randolph Hall.

“It will look brighter and I think it will be more noticeable from the street,” he said.

The work will involve 87,365 square feet, according to Brad Weiland, senior project manager for the College of Charleston’s facilities management, with the renovated Simons Center encompassing more than 99,000 square feet.

Hart points out that while the Simons Center has served the department well since opening in 1979, it was in need of an upgrade after more than 40 years. It opened with the aim of serving up to 800 students.

A rendering shows a possible design of what the renovated lobby of the Simons Center could look like, featuring large windows and tall ceilings. College of Charleston/Provided

Today, the College of Charleston said the building, which is the main hub of the School of the Arts, accommodates five times that number.

Among the key improvements will be new seminar classrooms, updated and enlarged classroom spaces and a new two-story black box theater. The School of the Arts will also benefit from a state-of-the-art costume shop, scene shop and theater design studio; new sculpture, printmaking and drawing studios; a digital lab and gallery/multipurpose room; new music practice rooms and revamped dressing room spaces.

The renovation also includes mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and updated technological systems.

Five locations around campus will house School of the Arts programs and departments during the renovation. These include Harbor Walk West, 136 St. Philip St. (the former site of Redux Contemporary Art Studio); the Lightsey Center, Calhoun Annex (172 Calhoun St./Chapel Theatre); and 329 King St. (corner of King and George streets).

A rendering shows a design of the main corridor inside the Albert Simons Center. College of Charleston/Provided

With the Recital Hall and the Emmett Robinson Theatre, located within the Simons Center, closed for the duration of the renovation, many School of the Arts performances will be held in the college’s Sottile Theatre as well as the Chapel Theatre.

Construction will run through 2022, and major completion of the building will take place in the spring of 2023, with an estimated opening for the fall 2023 semester, Weiland said.

With large windows, a modern façade and carefully chosen brick, Hart said the entrance is meant to subtly grab visitors’ attention as they make their way from the rear of Randolph Hall to St. Philip Street.

College of Charleston students visit the Albert Simons Center for the Arts in 2019. The building, located on St. Philips Street, soon will be getting a makeover. File/Brad Nettles/Staff

The building will also give added visual prominence to School of the Arts, and its role in the city of Charleston’s arts scene. It dovetails with new branding, centered on the tagline “The Artistic Heartbeat of Charleston.”

“There really isn’t an artistic institution in this town that we aren’t somehow involved with, whether it’s a direct relationship or partnership or whether it’s our graduates that are over there or our faculty members,” Hart said. 

The College of Charleston has deep connections with Spoleto Festival USA, Piccolo Spoleto, the Charleston Symphony, the Charleston Gaillard Center, the Preservation Society of Charleston, as well as many area theater and dance companies and art galleries.

“We can just go on and on, and I think it’s time for us to claim that. Charleston is an arts city and we’re at the heart of it,” Hart said.

With such an integral role in Charleston’s arts scene, the significant investment also bodes well for continued arts vitality in the years ahead.

“When times are tough, very often the arts take it on the chin. And our administration has shown the foresight to really stand by us with this project, which indicates that the arts really are a priority for the College,” Hart said.

Rick & Mary Lee Bastin Honored in Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for The Citadel's Bastin Hall

Bastin Hall, The Citadel's new school of business, was dedicated May 14. The design and construction was overseen by Liollio Architecture in association with ikon.5 architects. THS Constructors served as the general contractor for the project. Liollio is proud to have been part of this phenomenal and exciting project.

The new Bastin Hall building is a modern upgrade from the previous business school home. Originally constructed in 1922, Bond Hall has housed business school classrooms since the 1970s. “There’s a lot of state-of-the-art space here that we just didn’t have in our old building,” Dr. Michael Weeks, Dean said.

“I was a Mercedes dealer, and the CEO of Mercedes used to preach to us: ‘We need to amaze and delight our customers.’ Well, this building amazes and delights me, and it’s beyond my greatest dreams that it would come out this well,” said Rick Bastin, '65, joined by his wife Mary Lee, during a ceremony recognizing the couple’s efforts that made The Citadel's newest academic building a reality. READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

STUDIOLLIO

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

#Studiollio - In the Fall of 2019, Liollio Principals Andy Clark and Jennifer Charzewski co-taught a firm design studio as lecturers for Clemson University’s School of Architecture at the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston. Students experienced an academic design studio through the lens of a professional teaching studio.  The studio explored the City of Charleston and it’s grappling with change due to climate, technology, population, economics and mobility. Students investigated critical issues with a focus on how design can improve resiliency and cultural connectivity within a city.

A vibrant city is a living, breathing organism, and the civic infrastructure and architecture connect the identity, aspirations, and human story of the occupants to each other and to the past, present, and future. Architecture is intrinsically linked to landscape architecture and site in a hybrid conversation, rather than two separate entities. Similarly, the infrastructure that connects and moves people should participate in this hybrid conversation, and can reveal the opportunities that exist to grow in healthy ways.

Programmatically, Charleston is also confronting a tenuous balance between the tourism industry which undergirds the city’s economy, and the desire to be a livable city for all residents. Whereas development in housing, retail, food service, and offices is booming, it is often the cultural institutions and public parks that really bring a city to life and give it depth and a voice to residents.

Charleston is home to many preeminent programs and buildings for the visual and performing arts, and includes an aquarium, a history museum, and a children’s museum. However, there is a notable absence of a museum or center for nature and science –which are both integral to life in the Lowcountry and to supporting workforce development and STEM education.

The design projects provided the students with an opportunity to investigate these ideas and opportunities, further refine their critical and strategic approach in an iterative design process across a variety of scales, and develop requisite design and presentation communication skills. As a firm-led studio, the unique perspective of a practicing firm provided opportunities to intersect the academy with practice, including connecting students to professional mentors and enriching the firm with academic investigation.

USCB Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus Featured in Local Life Magazine

LOCAL Life is about living well in the Lowcountry. Stories are everywhere: intriguing people and places, food and fashion, culture and creativity, homes and health. These stories embody our local style and sophistication with a southern twist. Eloquently written words and stunning photography capture the local essence in a way that educates, entertains and engages locals who are inspired and want more.

LOCAL Life Magazine, a publication celebrating the stories, culture, and people that make Hilton Head, Beaufort & Bluffton SC unique, showcases the University of South Carolina-Beaufort's Hilton head Hospitality Management Campus as a backdrop to a fashion shoot, while providing details on the building’s design. Visit www.locallifesc.com for more.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

19 SLIDES FOR 2019: LIOLLIO YEAR IN REVIEW

As 2019 comes to a close, we take a look back at all of the wonderful people, places and events that made this year special. Thank you to all who’ve made 2019 a year to remember! Here is a look back at some of the events that helped shape our year. Comment, share and enjoy!

Liollio Principal Andy Clark featured in USCB Hilton Head Newsletter

Read USCB Hilton Head Hospitality Management’s current newsletter by clicking on the image above or following this link: https://bit.ly/2mKWSxu

Want to make sure you receive our future newsletters? Get on the list: www.eepurl.com/ggn8vT

USCB Hilton Head Island Hospitality Management Campus Awarded Two Green Globes

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Liollio Principal & Higher Education Design Leader, Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, was recently invited by Campus Dean Dr. Charlie Calvert to give a lecture to his students on the sustainable design principles utilized for the new University of South Carolina Beaufort, Hilton Head Island Hospitality Management Campus. In 2018, the Liollio project was awarded two Green Globes for New Construction, certified by the Green Building Initiative as demonstrating excellent progress in reduction to environmental impacts. Kudos to the students on a great discussion about sustainable design practices and being good stewards of the environment. Liollio was honored to formally present USCB with the Green Globes plaque in recognition of their commitment to sustainability. For more information regarding GBI, visit thegbi.org

USCB's Hilton Head Campus Allows Students to Study Hospitality Management in a World-Class Setting

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

With world-class golf, tennis, boating and accommodation facilities, beaches, creeks and marshes, excellent dining and nightlife, arts and cultural centers, and environmental and historical educational sites and programs, the Hilton Head region offers the ideal learning laboratory for hospitality studies and for enjoying your time at the University. Graduates of the Hospitality Management Program will be prepared to build successful careers in the booming tourism industry.

The 40,000 SF campus on the south end of the island is equipped with a production kitchen, beverage lab, tiered classroom design and high-tech offices. The campus will provide education and hands-on experience to students, allowing them to join the workforce while they study, and then stay for a career.

"Hilton Head is a superior environment for hospitality education," said USCB's Hospitality Management Dean Charles Calvert. "So for students to be able to come to our school, to study but also apply that theory to practice in the work environment is transformative for their educational careers."

Liollio Architecture is honored to have been part of this important and amazing project in association with our friends at Bialosky Cleveland and Fraser Construction. We would like to thank all on the team who made this possible. Browse images of the new University of South Carolina-Beaufort Hilton Head Hospitality Management Campus above - Photography by Richard Leo Johnson of Atlantic Archives.

Liollio Architecture Elevates Andy Clark, AIA, to Principal

Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, Principal

“It’s an honor to be part of a talented and dedicated team of design professionals that take pride in their work and make even the most challenging days fun and rewarding.”

— Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, Principal

Liollio Architecture is pleased to announce the elevation of Andy Clark, AIA, LEED AP, to Principal. Liollio celebrates Andy’s accomplishments and is proud to have him as a firm leader!

Andy is passionate about design and the value it brings to our clients through successful collaborations. As part of Liollio's third generation of ownership, Andy leads the educational market and has a diverse portfolio spanning educational, municipal, commercial and healthcare. “It’s an honor to be part of a talented and dedicated team of design professionals that take pride in their work and make even the most challenging days fun and rewarding.” A graduate of Clemson University, with a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Design, Andy is currently serving as the State President of AIA South Carolina, where he organized the Community: by design Conference in conjunction with ArtFields in Lake City. He has served on the Clemson Architectural Foundation Board, volunteers as a student mentor, and is a Past President of AIA Charleston, where he co-founded a free public lecture series to elevate the design dialogue in our community.

Open for Business: The Citadel Produces Military Leaders, Yes, But Even More Pursue Civilian Careers

View fullsize

Construction of Bastin Hall, future home of The Citadel's business school, is set to start in June.

By Dave Munday dmunday@postandcourier.com
The Post & Courier Mar 25, 2018

The Citadel’s mission to produce ethical business leaders is paying off, as the department is in the midst of a major makeover.

The expansion includes:
• A new name. The department was renamed The Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business last year after a major donation from Baker, a 1972 business school graduate who founded the Baker Motor Co., automotive empire.
• A new home. The department is preparing to move from Bond Hall, where it shares space with administration and biology classes, to a new building called Bastin Hall, in the fall of 2019.
• A new dean. Michael Weeks, dean of the Dunham School of Business at Houston Baptist University, a former Air Force pilot and an accomplished violinist whose specialty is strategic innovation, will take over the helm at The Citadel on July 1.
• New specialties. This year, the Citadel began offering new programs focusing on finance, entrepreneurship and the supply chain.

About one-third of the graduates from the Charleston military college go into the military; the rest pursue civilian careers. The school has produced a long list of outstanding business leaders in its 175-year history, going back to James Coker, an 1856 graduate who founded Carolina Fiber Co., Sonoco Products and Coker College in Hartsville.

Baker is one of the more visible contemporary graduates in the Charleston area. He declined to reveal the amount of his donation last year, but it’s been called the largest in the history of the business school.

Bastin Hall is named after Rick Bastin, a 1965 business school graduate whose Florida car dealerships included the largest Mercedes-Benz dealership on the East Coast.

He donated $6 million to get the building started in September 2016. Work is expected to start this summer, near the Holliday Alumni Center across from Johnson Hagood Stadium.

All cadets — whether heading for military or business careers — are drilled in the school’s core values of honor, duty and respect. That’s a selling point in today business world, according to Iordanis Karagiannidis — often called "Dr. K" around campus — the business school’s associate dean.

"I think that is a strong selling point, when you look at the news, the lack of ethics in different businesses," Karagiannidis said.

The new dean agrees.

"The primary attraction of the position for me was The Citadel's commitment to its mission of developing leaders with core values of duty, honor and respect," Weeks said. "One only needs a quick scan of the current headlines to see that our community and nation require leaders of character at every level."

Out of 551 cadets who graduated in 2017, 191 — or 34 percent — were business majors, according to a report from the school.

A number of prominent business leaders also have earned their master's degrees at The Citadel, which allowed MBA candidates to complete the program entirely online two years ago.

Liollio Architecture, in association with ikon.5 architects, is currently working with The Citadel to complete the Bastin Hall project.

The Citadel's 175th Anniversary Luncheon

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The 2017-2018 academic year marks the 175 Year Anniversary of The Citadel and, in a special partnership, The Post and Courier will commemorate this incredible milestone throughout the year with a series of events. You may have already noticed a key point of this partnership: the “Today in History” highlighting significant moments in Citadel history published daily on page 2 of The Post and Courier. The Post and Courier published a commemorative special publication on Sunday, March 25, 2018. The special publication included a historical overview of the past 175 years.

As part of this celebration, The Post and Courier also hosted the 175 Year Anniversary Luncheon on March 22 following the Greater Issues speech during Corps Day. Liollio Principals, Dinos Liollio, Cherie Liollio, Jay White, and Associate Principal, Andy Clark, joined in celebrating the military college of South Carolina and their extraordinary path to 175 years of excellence last Thursday at The Citadel’s Holliday Alumni Center.. The luncheon featured speakers including Lieutenant General John W. Rosa, USAF (Ret.), and Colonel Randy Bresnik, USMC (Ret,).