The College of Eastern Idaho is constructing the Future Tech building on the Idaho Falls campus. The $50 million facility will leverage connections with the region’s institutional and industry leaders to realize advances in energy resources, sustainability practices, and technological applications, while providing hands-on training to address growing workforce demands in those fields.
Claremont McKenna College opened the Robert Day Sciences Center in September of 2025 in Claremont, Calif. As the home for the new Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences, the 135,000-sf facility enables a transformative pedagogy organized around three overlapping foci: health, brain, and planet. The three-story structure supports a research-centered, solutions-driven curriculum, creating experiential learning opportunities for students and emphasizing the applications of artificial intelligence to real-world challenges.
The University of Pittsburgh is constructing the state-of-the-art BioForge center in the Hazelwood Green development, a brownfield site site that once accommodated a steel mill. Designed by HOK, the $250 million hub will drive breakthroughs and innovations in the manufacturing of precision biological medicines to improve human health.
California State University, Northridge opened the Autodesk Technology Engagement Center in August of 2025 in Los Angeles. Designed by AC Martin with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory consultant, the $62.7 million facility accommodates programs for the College of Engineering and Computer Science, including six flexible discovery environments.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville broke ground in September of 2025 on a state-of-the-art facility for chemistry education and training. Designed by BarberMcMurry Architects and Lord Aeck Sargent, the $199 million building will prepare the workforce of the future for the growing chemical industry in the state and beyond. The eight-story structure will span 162,000 sf, accommodating two 50-seat lecture halls, 30 research laboratories, and a 50-seat study room.
The College of Western Idaho opened two new facilities in August of 2025 in Nampa. Fostering collaboration, the 60,000-sf health and science building consolidates growing programs for future registered and practical nurses, surgical technologists, dental assistants, and medical assistants. The three-story structure accommodates specialized skills labs, simulation suites, and three advanced laboratories for work in biology, microbiology, and anatomy and physiology. Group study venues are complemented by focus and reflection rooms, a student commons, and a café.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison opened a $267 million facility for the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences in August of 2025. Designed by LMN Architects and Kahler Slater, Morgridge Hall will act as a beacon of innovation for the state’s growing tech industry while meeting an increased demand for programs in robotics, cybersecurity, software design, and machine learning.
The University of Tennessee dedicated the UT Medical Nursing Building in August of 2025 in Knoxville. Created in partnership with UT Medical Center, the $108.2 million facility was designed by Ayers Saint Gross and McCarty Holsaple McCarty as a catalyst for the optimization of health through nurse-led care.
Wesleyan University is constructing a $255 million science building to consolidate two existing facilities and anchor a transformational life sciences precinct in Middletown, Conn. Designed by Payette, the 195,000-gsf structure will house the departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. The four-story development will feature 39 research and support labs, nine teaching labs, seven classrooms, and a vivarium.
Northeastern Illinois University broke ground in August of 2025 on a new building for the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education in Chicago. Designed by SmithGroup, the $125.4 million facility will provide 24 classrooms, two designated conference rooms, and 80 private offices. The 189,673-sf structure will accommodate leading-edge laboratories and clinics for the cultivation of educational excellence, with 48,735 sf of space dedicated for general university use.
The University of Kansas opened the redeveloped David Booth Memorial Kansas Stadium in August of 2025, marking the completion of the first phase of the new Gateway District. Designed by HNTB and Multistudio as an inviting entrance to campus, the $448 million project elevates the fan experience with a restructured bowl layout offering improved sightlines and increased proximity to the field. Diverse premium seating options include ledge suites, loge boxes, and 2,300 club seats distributed across three social zones.
Mass timber construction is widely lauded for its sustainability benefits, including wood’s natural carbon sequestration, lower embodied energy footprint, lighter weight as compared to steel or concrete, and essential renewability. But does it pay off in terms of a university’s performance standards and cost concerns when embarking on a project as ambitious as Oregon State University’s Jen-Hsun and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex, a $213 million, 143,000-sf facility dedicated to advanced programs in artificial intelligence, robotics, energy, and materials science? Scott Ashford, OSU’s dean of the College of Engineering, and Libby Ramirez, the university’s resident architect, argue that with careful strategy and an eye toward the data, the answer is “yes.”
The University of Kentucky is constructing the $430 million Michael D. Rankin MD Health Education Building in Lexington to enhance community wellbeing by addressing provider shortages throughout the state. Expanding the university’s training capacity by up to 1,200 students, the 509,000-sf facility will strategically colocates programs in medicine, public health, nursing, and health sciences, as well as housing the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education.
The University of Arkansas opened the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation in August of 2025 in Fayetteville. Designed by Grafton Architects and Modus Studio, the 44,763-sf facility will enable the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design to advance the discovery and development of innovative timber construction modalities. The six-story development features an 11,000-sf high bay zone for fabrication and design-build activities, connected to teaching spaces above by a central atrium.
Austin Peay State University opened the $70 million Health Professions Building in August of 2025 in Clarksville, Tenn. Ayers Saint Gross and HASTINGS designed the the 114,600-sf facility to strategically colocate the School of Nursing and the departments of Allied Health Sciences, Health and Human Performance, Social Work, and Psychological Science and Counseling.
