Higher Education

The University of Southern California broke ground in May of 2021 on the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall in Los Angeles. Located on the University Park campus, the 116,000-sf facility will accommodate the Viterbi School of Engineering’s programs in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, cryptography, internet technology, health computing, software development, and computer graphics.

The Anteater Learning Pavilion (ALP) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is the first university building in the state dedicated to using design and technology to increase innovation and collaboration. The three-floor, 94,000-sf ALP has flexible classrooms, mobile furniture, and wireless connectivity throughout, including projection and display technology, to make using technology in the classroom seamless. Opened in September 2018 for a total cost of about $67 million, the ALP provides much-needed room for growth, with a total of 1,446 instructional spaces, 392 informal learning spaces, and 44 staff offices. Michael Dennin, Ph.D., vice provost of Teaching and Learning and dean of the Division of Undergraduate Education at UCI, participated in the building planning committee, and encouraged the commitment to 100 percent active learning space.

Rochester Institute of Technology broke ground in spring of 2021 on the $120 million Student Hall for Exploration and Development in Rochester, N.Y. Designed by William Rawn Associates, the SHED will feature a large maker space where students can prototype new technologies and collaborate on engineering projects. Providing 1,500 classroom seats, the 100,000-sf structure will offer five 150-seat learning venues and 22 standard-size flexible classrooms.

Vermeulens has released its market outlook report for the first quarter of 2021. Key points include:

Oklahoma State University broke ground in April of 2021 on the $100 million New Frontiers Agricultural Hall in Stillwater. Designed by PGAV Architects and Studio Architecture, the collaborative building will feature leading-edge environments for experiential learning including interactive classrooms and teaching labs that can serve multiple disciplines.

Bowdoin College held a groundbreaking ceremony in April of 2021 for the John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies in Brunswick, Maine. Designed by HGA, the 16,426-sf facility will be dedicated to the broad multidisciplinary study of the Arctic. Interactive teaching and laboratory spaces will enable faculty, students, and visiting researchers to better understand the region's unique environmental conditions and challenges.

There is no question that the pandemic has taken a toll on higher education institutions, but they are planning for a future that includes fully engaged students and campuses bustling with activity. A Tradeline survey of 115 colleges and universities and the architectural and engineering firms that serve them shows they are focused on renovation, modernization, and major new construction of everything from life sciences facilities to theaters; 58 percent reported that they have one or two major projects in the planning or pre-planning stages.

Old Dominion University dedicated the $75.6 million Chemistry Building in April of 2021 in Norfolk, Va. Designed by SmithGroup and Moseley Architects, the four-story, 110,500-sf facility provides 24 research labs, 13 teaching labs, and a digital theater and planetarium that doubles as an instructional venue for advanced chemistry and biochemistry courses.

The University of Warwick completed construction in March of 2021 on the £33 million Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building in Coventry in the United Kingdom. Designed by Hawkins\Brown and Fairhursts Design Group, the 75,000-sf facility provides flexible open labs for up to 300 researchers in neuroscience, cell biology, disease models, and microbiology and infection.

The University of Texas at Arlington is constructing a $76 million health sciences facility for the School of Social Work. Featuring flexible, technology-enabled learning environments, the 150,000-sf building will include teaching and research labs, study areas, and offices for faculty and staff. Designed by SmithGroup to enable an innovative pedagogy that enhances collaboration between allied health disciplines, the structure will also house the Smart Hospital, a clinical simulation center for the College of Nursing and Health Innovations.

A few years ago, Columbia College in Missouri had a small maintenance garage that wasn’t adding much value. Today, it’s the Gaming Hut, the nexus of Columbia’s esports program, part of a trend on many campuses that’s getting video gamers out of their dorm rooms and into a world of collaboration, competition, and learning. An esports facility is “a perfect example of a small space being reclaimed, a social space with performance and practice areas,” explains Chris Chivetta, president of Hastings+Chivetta Architects, which has worked on a number of these projects.

Middle Tennessee State University broke ground in April of 2021 on the $40.1 million School of Concrete and Construction Management in Murfreesboro. Designed by Orcutt Winslow, the 54,000-sf building will feature sophisticated labs and classrooms for the school's innovative programs in concrete industry management and construction management. The facility will also provide faculty and staff offices as well as an open-air work yard for experiential learning.

Arizona State University and Wexford Science+Technology opened the PBC Innovation Center on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in March of 2021. Strategically collocating academic investigators with private companies to foster collaboration and discovery, the 225,000-sf facility provides wet and dry lab environments, offices, meeting spaces, and retail amenities.

The University of California, Santa Barbara broke ground on a $97 million academic building in March of 2021. Designed by LMN Architects as a vibrant hub of educational activity, the 95,000-sf facility will provide five lecture halls, 20 flexible teaching venues, and three active learning spaces. Increasing UCSB's classroom capacity by 35 percent, the 2,000-seat structure will integrate leading-edge instructional technologies to enable innovative pedagogies and project-based learning.

The University of Michigan opened the $75 million Ford Motor Company Robotics Building in March of 2021 in Ann Arbor. As the new home of the U-M Robotics Institute, the 134,000-sf facility provides the College of Engineering with collaborative R&D labs, maker spaces, high-bay research areas, a three-story fly zone for autonomous aerial vehicles, a Mars yard for rover and lander prototyping, and an outdoor obstacle course for walking robots.