Strategic Plans

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is constructing the Life Sciences Laboratories Building in Norman to expand its research capacity while addressing a crucial need for teaching labs tailored to the evolving demands of biology and chemistry education. Designed by CannonDesign and Miles Architecture, the $100 million project will provide 25 modern lab classrooms and a 250-seat lecture hall on the ground floor, with approximately 80,000 sf of the 105,000-sf structure dedicated to undergraduate learning.

Carnegie Mellon University’s Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics represents the largest in a series of recent initiatives designed to enhance the student experience and boost the university’s competitive appeal. It also marks a definitive break from the old “sink-or-swim” posture that characterized campus environments across the country for decades. 

Facing the mandate to grow university research expenditures to $1 billion by 2028, Arizona State University’s (ASU) Research Space Planning group was charged with determining how much lab space would be required to meet that goal and what the cost would be. Under the leadership of senior director Erik Halle, the planning group engaged in a multi-stage process analyzing utilization and cost data, benchmarking, and incorporating user feedback to arrive at the answer.  Introducing new practices like improved lab-to-gross-square-foot ratios and the recovery of underutilized space, among other measures, culminated in meeting the $1 billion target almost three years early without additional construction.

The University of Texas System is creating UTA West, a new regional campus for education and training in Fort Worth. Representing an estimated investment of $600 million, the multiphase project is slated to include five buildings totaling 930,000 gsf on the north parcel, as well as a 1,589-space parking garage. Up to four more structures could rise on the south parcel at a later stage.

The University of California, Los Angeles is constructing the UCLA Research Park to create an engine of innovation and economic growth for Southern California and beyond. The visionary project is transforming the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall into a dynamic destination where basic scientists join with industry experts to advance discovery and commercialization. Acquired by UCLA in December of 2023, the property encompasses more than 1.3 million gsf on 9.2 acres, with two main buildings spanning a total of 700,000 sf connected by an enclosed pedestrian bridge.

UC Davis Health (UCDH) is constructing the 910,000-sf California Tower in Sacramento. Envisioned as a cornerstone for critical care in the region, the $3.7 billion complex will add a 14-story hospital and a five-story pavilion to the existing medical center. The resilient facility will provide approximately 334 private inpatient rooms, 250 of which can seamlessly transition to “pandemic mode” to offer additional infection isolation capabilities through negative air pressure.

The University of New Mexico is planning to create a new home for the School of Medicine in Albuquerque. The 330,000-sf building will act as a gateway to UNM's North Campus, which accommodates the existing Health Sciences Center and UNM Hospital. Shaped by the vision of ZGF Architects and McClain + Yu Architecture & Design, the transformational development is expected to double enrollment capacity over the next decade to address the demand for more providers across the region.

Genentech, an independent subsidiary of Roche, is expanding the initial investment in its new biomanufacturing facility in Holly Springs, N.C., from $700 million to approximately $2 billion. Originally envisioned as a 700,000-sf complex, the project will now deliver increased production volume and scale capacity, significantly enhancing the company's U.S. supply chain.

Vanderbilt University is expanding its national footprint by establishing an academic campus in San Francisco. The former California College of the Arts (CCA) site will be transformed into a new destination for education, collaboration, and global engagement beginning in 2027. Serving approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the project represents the next step in the university's strategic growth and builds on recent initiatives in New York City and West Palm Beach.

Sutter Health broke ground in January of 2026 on the Advanced Cancer Center and Care Complex in Modesto, Calif. Designed by HGA, the approximately $380 million project is part of a strategic multiyear commitment to increase the availability of innovative, high-quality services in the Central Valley. The four-story, 165,000-sf facility is being created in collaboration with Gould Medical Group and will offer both outpatient and specialty care in a single integrated location on the Memorial Medical Center campus. 
 

The University of Miami is planning to construct a residential complex for upper-class students on the Coral Gables campus. Designed by Arquitectonica, the 573,804-sf facility will comprise two towers offering a majority of single-occupancy rooms. The first building will rise nine stories high and provide more than 730 beds throughout 222 units, and the second ten-floor structure will house over 720 beds across 207 units. 

The University of North Texas is constructing the Science and Technology Building on its Denton campus. Designed by SmithGroup, the $109 million facility will serve the College of Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Health and Public Service, and other departments and programs.

Columbia University’s acting president, Claire Shipman, has announced plans to visit Washington, D.C., to discuss possible models for changes to indirect cost recovery rates. In February of 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that allocations for costs that maintain the infrastructure and administrative support for federally funded research would be capped at 15 percent, whereas previous policies allowed higher education institutions to negotiate agreements individually. 

In preparation for Generation Alpha's in the higher education environment in three years, Stantec is unveiling valuable insights for architects and interior designers on these cohorts’ expectations for the facilities they will live and learn in. Gen Alpha, or those born between 2010 and 2024, are the first to have grown up in the digital age since birth. They are characterized by their global connectivity, awareness of diversity, and preference for a personalized and flexible experience on campus. 

UC Davis Health opened the $182 million Folsom Medical Care Clinic in August of 2025 to elevate community health outcomes across the Sierra Foothills region of California. Consolidating three existing local facilities, the 114,000-sf building offers primary and specialty care, including pediatric and family medicine as well as cardiology, neurology, hematology, and other disciplines. The three-story structure also accommodates new services for cancer patients.