The Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building (KACB) is truly reflective of the "New Face of Computing" and Klaus' vision as entrepreneur and collaborator dedicated to computing technology. Soaring glass and metal fashioned around a stunning, environmentally conscious facility stands as a physical and symbolic gateway to a new center of campus. Friends, family and associates of Chris and Krissy Klaus, along with dignitaries, industry leaders and members of the Tech community joined together to celebrate the new KACB and all the incredible research, collaboration and discovery that will go on inside.

Festivities began on Thursday, October 26, 2006 with a ribbon cutting ceremony, officially opening the 414,000 square-foot building made possible by a generous gift from Christopher Klaus, founder and chief executive officer of Kaneva, Inc. and founder of Internet Security Systems (ISS) which he started as a Tech student in 1994. Five years later and at the age of 27, Klaus became the largest individual donor for the building, contributing $15 million—one of the top five largest gifts in Tech's history and the largest donation from anyone of his generation according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Addressing the crowd at the ceremony, Klaus said "I've given out of gratitude for what Georgia Tech gave me in the hope that each of you will be able to give back as well. This building will be the incubator of solutions, and by bringing together the brightest minds from around the country, across many different disciplines to this state-of-the-art facility, we can foster a collaborative, innovative approach--not to just discover the next big thing, but to change the world."

College of Computing Dean Rich DeMillo said, "The Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building is a new gateway to the Georgia Tech campus, and represents the prominence and importance of computing and new technologies to the Institute. This building is devoted to our faculty and students who will use research and collaboration to seek out and develop those technologies that will advance our society and make an impact on the world."

In addition to Klaus and DeMillo, several other officials who attended the ceremony gave remarks. Among them were Georgia Tech President Dr. Wayne Clough; Senator Sam Nunn; Georgia Governor's Office COO James R. Lientz, Jr.; and Chair of Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Gary May.

"The Klaus building will bring together Georgia Tech's greatest strengths while establishing the institute as a leader in this new world of electronic devices" - President Clough.

"Chris Klaus is a young man with a brilliant mind and a very generous spirit. He is also a young leader who is using his intellect and resources to put Georgia Tech on the leading edge of information technology." - Senator Nunn

"The Klaus Advanced Computing Building is just a great example of a public-private partnership, but it could have never been built without Chris, so thank you for what you have done here." - Lientz, representing Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue

Christopher Klaus was acknowledged and thanked many times during the ceremony for his vision, commitment, and genero sity before giving his own remarks and life lessons: "You got to take risks. Understand that the opportunities to do so rarely come at convenient times," he said. "Don't give up. If you do leave, be sure to leave in good standing so you can come back and at least give a building."

"Second, have a broad conception of success. Understand that sometimes, even when you fail, you succeed. I recognized that even if ISS was a tremendous flop, I would still be much richer for it. I would have had a great learning experience.

"In the end, things really do work out for the best." (For example, Klaus was able to keep the rights and profits for the scanning software he developed as an intern for the Department of Energy because the internship was unpaid. The software he developed later became the foundation for ISS.).

"Some of your best learning takes place outside of the classroom."

"Everything you put in the world has a ripple effect. What you do makes a difference. Take what you learn from Georgia Tech and share it with others."

Klaus was joined by President Clough, Dean DeMillo, Gary May, Senator Nunn and James Lientz, Jr. in cutting the ceremonial ribbon to open the building, galvanizing the College of Computing at Georgia Tech and the Atlanta area as major players in the digital economy.

The Making of KACB

Grand opening festivities for the Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building (KACB) continued with a VIP Black Tie Gala on Thursday night and a Campus Open House sponsored by the College of Computing Alumni Association. The Georgia Tech community was invited to tour the building on Friday, October 27, 2006, partaking of the refreshments and entertainment, winning prizes and viewing demos of the latest computing research.

KACB houses some of the most advanced computing labs and innovative educational technology in the world. The building also includes a number of environmental and sustainable features which achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification. LEED certified buildings are designed holistically to conserve natural resources and provide healthy environments for occupants. KACB architects creatively designed the six-acre urban campus site to preserve over 50 percent of the site as green space, and included a storm water collection system to provide water for irrigation, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, and extensive use of recyclables. It is truly one of the most ambitious construction projects in Tech's history.

"This building is not only beautiful, but it reflects Georgia Tech's commitment to environmental sustainability and the development of our campus," said President Wayne Clough. "Recycled materials were used in its construction and it employs energy efficient system that will save Georgia Tech $200,000 annually.

"The Klaus Building exemplifies our approach to design since 1935, which is to create buildings that mesh harmoniously with nature," said Manuel Cadrecha, Perkins + Will lead architect for the project. "Rather than imposing on a landscape, architecture should emerge organically from a site, creating and experience that is sustainable, practical, beautiful and ultimately enjoyable. Working with a world-class institution like Georgia Tech to expand its sustainable design mandate is an honor and a pleasure," he said.

Ellen Zegura, College of Computing Associate Dean of Special Programs, shepherded the project for the past six years, dedicating endless hours to collaborate with the architects, builders, decorators, and other vendors. "Along the way, I have had the opportunity to work closely with CoC faculty, staff and students to dream about and realize a building that will fundamentally change the way we work," she said. "I'm thrilled to walk around a space designed with flexibility and collaboration as first order considerations."

The building's curved design follows the shape of the six-acre site it resides on. The building is as aesthetically pleasing inside as it is outside. Green earth tones complement the clean contemporary style of the furniture. The focal point of the building is the three-story atrium featuring a "Cinderella-style" staircase and a wall of windows that allow much light. "Despite my close involvement in the design, there are aspects of the building, such as the atrium, which exceed even my high expectations," said Zegura.

The 414,000 square-foot facility consists of some 70 laboratories, eight computer class labs, five large classrooms and a 200-seat auditorium. A three-story parking deck beneath the facility holds 534 vehicles, and an east-west walkway cuts through the center of the building, allowing uninterrupted pedestrian traffic from one part of campus to another. In addition, the walkway between KACB and CCB features binary code that reads, "The Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building."

Christopher Klaus was present at the Campus Open House, enjoying the demos and appreciating the facility that bears his name. "Technology is changing our lives and it just keeps accelerating," he said. "This building is going to help propel Atlanta into the limelight and recruit the smartest minds from around the world to work on everything from robotics and media to entertainment and security."

Guests were encouraged to walk through the building on self-guided tours featuring informational posters and strategically placed tour guides throughout the new facility. The tour included the front steps of the KACB. The sweeping staircase is hailed as a new gateway to campus and provides a clear, unobstructed view up Ferst Drive to Technology Square. The next stop was the auditorium that will be used for teaching and special events. Guests were also able to view one of the five classrooms which are distance learning capable. In fact, the auditorium and classrooms have seats equipped with Internet access ports and electrical outlets, and also feature state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities.

The second floor is where the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) will be relocating key teaching laboratories. "These laboratories will be well equipped with desktop machines and software packages donated by long time industrial supporters of both ECE and CoC, " said Gary May, ECE Chair. "They will be used in classes that range from advanced digital design to computer architecture and operating systems," he added.

The second and third floors also contain study lounges, faculty offices, research labs, graduate student offices and a commons area. The binary walkway is located near the third-floor exit, connecting KACB to the rest of the Information Technology Complex which includes the College of Computing, the Microelectronics Research Center and the Van Leer Building.

Chris Klaus gave his historic $15 million gift under former CoC Dean Peter Freeman's tenure. Freeman was present during the grand opening festivities and said "The new Klaus Building is a marvelous piece of architecture and it exceeds the expectations that I think we all had for it."

Dean Rich DeMillo thanked Peter for his dream, tenacity and hard work, as well as CoC Development Director Mary Alice Isle for her efforts. "While the Christopher W. Klaus Advanced Computing Building is extremely impressive and the work that will go on inside its walls is vital," said DeMillo. "It also represents something very important to the entire Georgia Tech community—our future!"

Related Info:

• The Klaus Advanced Computing Building

• Chris Klaus' Bio
  

• Event Photos
  

• Space Naming Opportunities - There are still opportunities to name space in the Klaus Advanced Computing Building. Contact Mary Alice Isele, Director of Development.