Latest Reports

The number of makerspaces has increased 200% nationally in the last decade, with no sign of slowing down. This bodes well for the future of the labor force. But given the type of technology and materials used in these spaces, they also present a multitude of code, infrastructure, and safety challenges. Assess the risks posed by the various makerspace activities, and learn the regulations that apply to everything from welding and wood processing to painting and 3D printing. 

When the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), began to develop a new vision for its historic urban campus, they knew they wanted a high level of stakeholder engagement. The team that came together to work on the academic and research building called on elements of Lean construction, including Gemba walks and journey mapping, as part of design thinking, to empower users to co-create the spaces in which they will work. The new facility—a 310,000sf space in a dense urban environment—is scheduled for completion in 2028.

Colleges and universities are competing for the best faculty to serve a shrinking pool of students. The only way to demonstrate an institution’s value proposition with “an immediate, tangible, noticeable impact” is through its facilities, not just in their quality, but in the stories they tell.

UNC Charlotte has plotted a course for the future that prepares the campus for an 11% enrollment increase overall, with a 13% increase in STEM disciplines. The priority is student success, a UNC systemwide performance-based metric for a new funding model that ties funding to student success and graduation rates rather than just enrollment numbers. The goal is for more students to graduate on time with less debt. The strategy to achieve that goal includes creating the kinds of spaces that students need and want in order to succeed, with more opportunities for active, hands-on learning.

The $93 million Agriculture & Natural Resources Building (ANRB) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville provides enhanced research, education, and collaboration with advanced technology, specialized labs, flexible classrooms, a large commons area, a 500-seat auditorium, lecture halls, seamless connections to nearby academic buildings, and a welcoming pedestrian plaza to engage the community. A biophilic design connects students, faculty, and staff with nature through the use of clerestory windows and a green roof that acts as an exterior living room with research gardens.