Sessions

As enrollment patterns and academic program priorities shift and evolve, higher education planners face increasing pressure to align future facility needs with scarce funding sources. This session details how the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science designed an effective feasibility and fund-raising package that turned complex planning data into a persuasive donor narrative. Session leaders outline strategies for translating planning metrics into compelling visual materials, defining space priorities that resonate with private funders, and crafting facility stories that secure investment for project-based learning environments even amid public funding uncertainty.

Higher education institutions are sitting on millions of dollars in underutilized space—this presentation reveals methods to find it and monetize it. Tyler Patrick walks through campus utilization study methodologies that quantify current space performance and identify optimization opportunities. Using a University of Arizona case study, he delivers actionable strategies for aligning deferred maintenance investments with programmatic needs to create dual-purpose capital projects that maximize ROI. He shares policy frameworks that reduce space demand through efficiency standards and cross-departmental sharing models. He outlines phased implementation roadmaps that unlock renovation potential without new construction, addressing enrollment pressures and budget constraints while generating capacity for revenue-driving programs and strategic initiatives.

Higher education faces a highly competitive recruitment and retention environment as Generation Alpha approaches college age. This session equips campus and facility planners with strategies to meet their baseline infrastructure expectations for neurodiverse-friendly spaces, mental wellness support, and integrated technology. Amy Holzle demonstrates how inclusive design accommodates diverse learning styles while sensory-conscious environments provide the emotional safety Gen Alpha demands. She reveals why virtual reality, gamified platforms, and intuitive wayfinding are requirements — not enhancements — for tech-native students. Through multiple case studies, she explores flexible furniture, adaptable spaces, and cultural responsiveness strategies that support autonomy and belonging. She lays out a roadmap for campus environments that attract, retain, and support Generation Alpha's success.

This session reveals how Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is expanding enrollment capacity within tight budget constraints through strategic space optimization. Danielle Buttacavoli illustrates the role of data analytics in evaluating existing buildings using key metrics including facility condition, structural durability, and instructional demand to identify renovation versus replacement candidates. She profiles a case study of consolidating service groups into a unified center that streamlines student interactions while reducing operational footprints. She demonstrates the analysis of utilization patterns and enrollment projections to uncover underutilized spaces, and reposition them to increase instructional capacity at competitive costs per seat compared to new construction. She examines criteria for off-campus function relocation to free prime real estate for higher-priority activities, enabling enrollment growth through improved space utilization while supporting Cal Poly's "Learn by Doing" mission in today's constrained fiscal environment.

This session examines comprehensive renewal as the key to unlocking hidden value in aging buildings while solving higher education's toughest challenges—shrinking capital budgets, aggressive climate mandates, and deteriorating facilities. Through two compelling case studies, Avery Guthrie demonstrates models for aligning limited funding with institutional mission and long-term value, and delivering new-construction performance at lower cost and carbon impact. One project achieves 95 percent GHG reduction and 62 percent energy savings while creating interdisciplinary learning environments. Another transforms a poor-performing building into a vibrant, high-performance hub for professional education. Avery distinguishes renewal as a powerful strategic alternative to replacement, quantify dramatic performance gains across energy, carbon, and resilience metrics, and equips attendees with actionable frameworks for evaluating renewal opportunities and overcoming implementation barriers.

This session demonstrates how colleges and universities can reimagine their facilities as drivers of enrollment, recruitment, and engagement by embedding storytelling strategies powered by technology. Grace Johnson of Advent, a Nashville-based experience design firm, presents case studies from Stanford, Oregon, the University of Wyoming, and others to demonstrate how immersive displays and technology-driven design amplify heritage stories while transforming underutilized spaces into high-impact, cost-effective environments. Through interactive exercises tailored for facility leaders, attendees will explore how to layer digital tools into amenity spaces, renew outdated areas, and create flexible environments that connect with students, donors, and partners alike. The session equips facilities professionals with future-ready strategies to elevate the student experience, strengthen enrollment, expand donor engagement, and future-proof their campus stories in every square foot.

Higher education campus and facility planners face unprecedented budget pressures amid fluctuating tariffs and evolving Federal Reserve policies. This presentation delivers an indispensable two-year market outlook for construction costs, equipping owners with reliable cost escalation predictions. Vermeulens' analysts deliver insights into key economic drivers such as construction volumes, labor productivity, and major commodities impacting costs. They provide a construction labor weather map to forecast regional cost fluctuations and offer effective tools for risk mitigation and contingency planning. By understanding these micro and macroeconomic factors, campus planners can strategically manage their project budgets and control costs in a dynamic economic environment.

Across higher education, institutions are rethinking how to modernize aging facilities without expanding their physical footprint. This session explores how comprehensive renovations— rather than new construction — can transform existing buildings into vibrant, efficient, and future-ready environments that meet the evolving expectations of today’s students. Through recent projects, Warren Bulseco demonstrates how revitalized dining, housing, and recreation facilities can maximize space utilization, enhance student engagement, and extend building life while dramatically improving operational performance. He highlights strategies for upgrading building systems, optimizing envelope performance, and aligning design solutions with long-term sustainability and maintenance goals. He provides insights into how adaptive reuse can deliver high-impact results that balance functionality, aesthetics, and institutional stewardship.

Enrollment volatility and budget constraints demand smarter approaches to aging academic infrastructure. This session demonstrates a holistic planning methodology that transforms facility decision-making by integrating space utilization data, occupancy analytics, deferred maintenance assessments, and institutional policy with architectural evaluation. Presenters share strategies for expanding project scope beyond single-building analyses to evaluate assets within the complete campus ecosystem. They deliver practical frameworks for pairing early cost modeling with data-driven metrics to prioritize investments, optimize space allocation, and determine build-new-versus-renovate scenarios. Real project case studies illustrate campus-wide space reductions, repurposing strategies, and policy shifts that maximize ROI. Presenters outline communication approaches engaging diverse stakeholders throughout design to build shared transformation vision while identifying high-impact projects supporting student retention and institutional mission alignment.

This session illustrates how Villanova University advanced its academic mission and competitive positioning through Drosdick Hall, a 150,000-square-foot expansion that strategically unites and modernizes previously-scattered engineering spaces within one high-performance facility. Presenters detail how new space metrics and utilization benchmarks inspired faculty engagement and voluntary right-sizing of offices to achieve a shared vision for interdisciplinary alignment. They demonstrate how the building’s design promotes connectivity and visibility through integrated labs, active circulation, and collaborative public spaces that energize research and learning. They extract insights on the leadership, planning, and operational strategies that kept the existing building active, preserved sustainability goals, and delivered a cohesive, future-ready platform for innovation.

Campus and facility planners face mounting pressure to attract top student-athletes in an increasingly competitive recruitment landscape shaped by NIL policies. This presentation demonstrates how the University of Virginia responds by delivering a transformative athletics complex that repositions facilities as strategic recruitment assets. Presenters reveal how integrating 750 student-athletes across 27 varsity sports requires holistic design connecting dining, sports medicine, recovery, and team spaces into seamless performance ecosystems. They showcase spatial planning strategies that maximize efficiency and minimize circulation time between program areas. They illustrate how environmental branding and values-driven design reinforce institutional legacy while building culture, and they deliver actionable principles for inclusive facility planning that supports athletic performance, academic success, and personal growth — establishing new benchmarks for future-forward athletics programming.

This session examines planning, space policies, and facility framework changes to support a hybrid workforce and changing programs, with solutions to obstacles experienced along the way. Presenters detail the 55,000+ square foot renovation of a University of Michigan Medical School science building that reimagined faculty, staff, and learner workspaces with adaptable layouts, integrated computational labs, interactive collaboration zones, and inclusive amenities. They chart a strategic shift to support new work models, design features that foster productivity both onsite and remotely, and improvements to life safety, accessibility, and wayfinding. Attendees will gain insights into the planning and facilities policy changes that enabled seamless collaboration and promoted carbon neutrality throughout this innovative workplace transformation.

This session charts a process for using Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) to transform raw utilization data into actionable campus strategy. Presenters  demonstrate proven methods for capturing and analyzing classroom and administrative space performance, and revealing opportunities to reduce operational costs while responding to enrollment shifts and hybrid learning demands. They examine real-world case studies showing how institutions have successfully leveraged space analytics to rightsIze their physical footprint, optimize building portfolios, and enhance student experience. They identify best practices for aligning facilities investment decisions with data-driven insights, enabling planners to make confident recommendations that address today's fiscal pressures while positioning campuses for future flexibility and operational excellence.