BLOOMINGTON.- The Board of Trustees of Indiana University has selected the architects for the internationally acclaimed Jacobs School of Music's new North Studio Building. The building is funded by a $44 million gift from the Lilly Endowment.

Building, to be built north of the current Music Building Addition (also known as "the round building") on Third Street, will be designed by Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf (BDMD) Architects of Indianapolis and Flad Architects of Madison, Wis. It will accommodate faculty teaching studios as well as music practice rooms, classrooms, offices and rehearsal rooms.

"The combination of the two firms, BDMD of Indianapolis and Flad of Madison, Wis., will give the university and the Jacobs School of Music the best possible chance to deliver an outstanding new music facility," said J. Terry Clapacs, IU vice president and chief administrative officer. "Both firms are nationally recognized for their design excellence and ability to create university facilities that are also very functional. We are anxious to get started with the planning."

Jacobs School Dean Gwyn Richards said the new building will further enhance the school's already world-class reputation and strengthen its ability to attract faculty and students well into the future.

"The combination of these two creative firms and their principal architects, David Black and Jonathan Hess, has proven to be a "dream team," as predicted by Vice President Clapacs," said Richards. "He knew their work individually and anticipated the joining of the two to be an unbeatable, exhilarating experience, and he was right. We have him, University Architect Robert Meadows and many others on the Bloomington campus to thank for their guidance. Most of all, we express our gratitude to the Lilly Endowment for this exceptional opportunity that will place resources and untold opportunity and potential within the reach of our faculty and students."

Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects is pleased to be part of a project for a school that brings so much prestige and culture to the Midwest, said Jonathan R. Hess, president of BDMD. The firm will share the design leadership role with Flad Architects and be the architect-of-record for the project.

"The Jacobs School of Music is recognized internationally," Hess said. "It plays a key role in educating not just its students, but also performers, music educators who influence music performance and scholars."

Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf was also the primary architect for the Student Recreational Sports Center at IU Bloomington, the Herron School of Art and Design at IUPUI, and Butler University's Performing Arts Complex.

David Black, design principal of Flad Architects, said his firm's goal in working with architects from Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, the Jacobs School and officials on IU's campus, is to create a building that will be immediately identifiable as an IU building. It should look at home with the existing Indiana limestone structures on campus, Black said.

Flad has designed two other IU Bloomington buildings: the recently completed Simon Hall -- which won high honors in R&D Magazine's 2008 "Lab of the Year" competition as well as an American Institute of Architects Design Award -- and the Multidisciplinary Science Building II, currently under construction on North Walnut Grove.

"We've been able to interpret the character of campus and make sure the rich history of campus is represented," said Black. "It's important to observe the features of the campus's open space, building forms and even the subtleties of the way the stone is worked.

"We listen to the aspirations of the School and the image they want to project within the context of the university," Black continued. "We and our partner firm always keep that in mind and reflect it in our model forms and presentations. A spark of an idea often generates conversation, so we strive to keep the conversation open. It's our way of making sure we end up with a project that meets everyone's goals."

Craig Mullins, project director from Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects, said that in addition to the North Studio Building, the project involves pre-schematic planning for future phases for the continued growth of facilities at the Jacobs School. "This future long-term vision is important so that the Jacobs School of Music has a road map for its future needs," Mullins said.

"To be involved with a music program that is a global leader in music education and performance is an honor for us," Mullins added. "We're excited about the influence that this building can have on continued performance excellence for the performers, scholars, teachers and students of Indiana University and the state of Indiana."