The Shannon School of Business was envisioned by Cape Breton University to be a leading edge business program facility. At the request of the benefactor, the design of the proposed edifice was to reflect a more traditional vernacular.

The building was designed in the modern, neo-classical style, reminiscent of financial institutions of earlier eras. The design reflects the material palette of adjacent University building, and reinforces the rationalist style of the existing Campus-Centre.

The building is a two-storey, 25-000 square-foot facility, housing state-of-the-art classrooms, case-study rooms, collaborative learning labs, and faculty offices. The school focuses on delivering community economic development, comparative development, and First Nations Community economic development, all in a modern, collaborative learning experience.