Back to (Business) School
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
2240 Paul Merage School of Business Unit 2, Location: Irvine, CA, Architect: LMN Architects
Behind-the-Scenes
OC Business Journal Cover Story
Back to school takes on a whole new meaning when you’re attending one of the most prestigious business schools in the country. At UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business, students are returning to a beautiful new expansion to their campus. The 80,000 sq ft addition, designed by LMN Architects and Carrier Johnson + Culture, seamlessly interconnects spaces — existing and new, outdoor and indoor, meditative and collaborative. I had the pleasure of photographing this impressive space for the architects, construction firm, and the school itself!Photographing educational projects always requires a unique approach, but UCI’s Business School had a longer list of challenges than most! The intricate levels of management meant a great deal of coordination with everyone’s schedules and unique requests from multiple parties. We’re pros at navigating complex situations and getting great shots that meet everyone’s expectations.With such a distinguished school comes an equally distinguished roster of professors and lecturers. The school requested shots featuring a few of these important individuals. We love including people in our photographs to provide a sense of scale and function to a space, but it did require advance planning to capture specific people while they were on campus. Comprised of many irregular angles, intersecting lines and other dramatic design features, the 5-story structure was tricky to photograph, to say the least! By taking the time to first thoroughly scout the spaces beforehand and then get feedback from the architects about the best angles, we were able to capture the true spirit of their design. It did take some special equipment, including extra wide lenses and construction lifts, to accomplish the architects' vision. Check out some of our behind-the-scenes images showing the giant construction lifts in action, helping us photograph around the large trees in the courtyard! Thanks to Hathaway Dinwiddie for providing the lifts. We were thrilled to see our photography of this project featured in a cover story for the Orange County Business Journal!