Education: Classroom

The University of Colorado Boulder opened the renovated Hellems Arts and Sciences Building in April of 2026. Designed by Hacker and Handprint Architecture, the $105.2 million facility houses the departments of english, history, linguistics, and philosophy, as well as the Anderson Language and Technology Center. Flexible, open classrooms will encourage active learning, adapt to new pedagogies, and support both team-based and lecture-oriented educational modalities.

The University of Texas at San Antonio opened San Pedro II in April of 2026 in the city’s downtown technology corridor to fuel innovation, education, and research. Designed by Gensler and OVERLAND Partners, the $131 million facility features flexible and reconfigurable spaces for the College of AI, Cyber and Computing, including classrooms, teaching labs, and meeting areas.

The University of New Mexico is engaged in a visionary renovation of the College of Pharmacy on the institution’s North Campus in Albuquerque. Designed by Vigil & Associates and Architekton, the 96,518-sf facility is undergoing a comprehensive transformation to create a sophisticated home for future pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. Flexible, leading-edge classrooms and research laboratories will be accompanied by collaboration venues that bring learners, faculty, and community partners together.

The College of the Desert is constructing a $268 million campus in Palm Springs, Calif. Designed by WRNS Studio, this regional hub for education and workforce training will offer dry labs, maker spaces, AI-enabled environments, and immersive studios. The development’s main facility, The Accelerator, will house programs in digital media and arts, healthcare, and architecture. Technology-driven classrooms will prioritize flexibility to support innovative teaching and learning methodologies.

Loyola University Chicago began construction in March of 2026 on a $250 million facility for the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. Located on the Lake Shore Campus in Maywood, Ill., the interdisciplinary structure will offer 150,000 sf of leading-edge space for education, research, and training, as well as an additional basement level spanning 40,000 sf.

The University of Michigan is constructing the Center for Innovation in Detroit to accelerate technology-focused research and train the next generation of skilled workers. Designed by KPF, the $250 million facility will act as a powerful engine for job creation and inclusive talent development by accommodating both degree-based offerings and instructional courses for non-students in a range of fields.

The University of New Mexico is planning to construct the $138 million Humanities and Social Sciences Complex (HSSC) at the heart of its Albuquerque campus. The 80,728-gsf facility was designed by SMPC Architects and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects + Partners to serve as a central hub for the College of Arts & Sciences.

The Texas A&M University System opened the STEM Education and Research Center in March of 2026 on the RELLIS Campus in Bryan. Designed by PBK Architects, this dynamic hub for applied science unites academic programming with innovation to accelerate the translation of breakthroughs into next-generation technologies. The $43.4 million facility provides students with unique opportunities for hands-on learning as they engage in shared discovery with researchers and industry partners.

The University of British Columbia opened the CAD 207.9 million Gateway Health building in Vancouver in February of 2026. Designed by Perkins&Will and Schmidt Hammer Lassen, the 270,550-sf facility showcases a six-story atrium connecting two five-story wings. This interdisciplinary nexus provides advanced teaching labs, flexible classrooms, and four large lecture halls, with interconnecting stairs reaching from the basement to the highest level to encourage physical activity.

Clemson University opened the Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in February of 2026 in Clemson, S.C. The $130 million building is the university's most technologically advanced facility to date and will enable the workforce of the future to gain hands-on experience in next-generation manufacturing processes.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore is constructing a dynamic home for the School of Social Work that will equip the next generation of change-makers to create new solutions for key societal challenges. Designed by Ballinger, the $125 million facility will feature modern learning environments that prioritize openness, transparency, and inclusivity. The 127,400-gsf building will consolidate activities previously dispersed in six separate locations, as well as accommodating the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Philosophy programs. 

Wake Technical Community College is constructing the Perry Family Simulation Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. The three-story, 106,000-sf building will be one of the largest and most comprehensive simulation hospitals in the United States when it opens in fall of 2027. BSA designed the multidisciplinary facility to enable students to participate in hands-on learning in environments that mirror real-world clinical settings.

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.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) began construction in February of 2026 on the Center for Cybersecurity Research, Education & Advanced Training. Designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the $48 million project will transform the Bevill Center, a hotel and conference venue, into an interdisciplinary nexus for collaboration, learning, and discovery.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) is constructing the Science and Health Sciences Building to expand undergraduate research capacity and create an anchor for a new innovation cluster. Designed by HOK and Potter Lawson, the $340.3 million structure will provide dynamic facilities for STEM courses and programs in nursing, psychology, pre-professional health sciences, public health, and environmental studies.