Higher Education

Michigan State University broke ground in October of 2024 on the $200 million Plant and Environmental Sciences Building in East Lansing. Designed by HED and CannonDesign, the 200,000-sf facility will accelerate the discovery and development of global solutions for food security. Approximately 40 principal investigators and their teams will occupy the structure, which will feature leading-edge wet labs, growth chambers, and instrumentation suites.

Colorado State University broke ground in October of 2024 on ATLAS, the Advanced Technology Lasers for Applications and Science facility in Fort Collins. Created in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fusion Energy Sciences program, the development is made possible by a $150 million public-private partnership with Marvel Fusion. A trio of ultra-high-power lasers that can be used separately or in combination will drive innovative discoveries in clean energy, medicine, and fundamental research.

Virginia Commonwealth University needed new space for math and science classes. When prototypes and stakeholder feedback indicated the student experience was top priority, they changed their planned two-stage facility to a single STEM building focused on making it easier for students to learn in the ways that suit them best, with spaces designed to break down barriers between faculty and students.

A $139 million project to expand the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia (UVA) will provide cutting-edge business education well into the future by offering students the best technological resources, on-site and remote learning environments, and a variety of spaces to collaborate and socialize. The construction of a new 80,000-sf structure and renovation of a historic building, both slated for completion in March 2025, will grow McIntire beyond the 156,000 sf of space it has called home since 2008. The hub of buildings addresses a space deficit and creates a growing commerce complex, providing a link between the university, its students, and nearby business districts.

Caltech opened the $148 million Resnick Sustainability Center in October of 2024 in Pasadena, Calif. Featuring transdisciplinary laboratories with specialized equipment, the 79,727-sf facility enables investigators and innovators from across the Caltech community to engage in collaborative discovery. The four-story structure currently houses four research hubs:

Cal Poly Humboldt broke ground in October of 2024 on the $100 million Engineering & Technology Building in Arcata, Calif. Designed by AC Martin with Research Facilities Design as laboratory design consultant, the 74,000-sf facility will feature multipurpose learning environments equipped with adaptable infrastructure for optimal programmatic flexibility.

The University of California, Riverside opened its new School of Business in September of 2024 to equip the next generation of corporate leaders and entrepreneurs with vital competencies. Created by the design-build team of Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners and McCarthy Building Companies, the $87 million facility centralizes academic activities currently dispersed across campus while accommodating significant programmatic growth. 

The University of Glasgow broke ground in October of 2024 on a dynamic new center for teaching and research on its Gilmorehill campus. Designed by HOK, the Keystone Building will offer instructional settings and technical environments for over 3,600 students of all disciplines. The £300 million structure will feature advanced computational laboratories and a range of wet and dry lab spaces. Providing general teaching facilities for the James Watt School of Engineering, the development will also include a maker space, collaborative areas, and a café.

The Medical University of South Carolina is constructing a $50 million facility for the College of Health Professions in Charleston. Designed by Clark Nexsen and SMHa, the 90,000-sf project will accommodate allied health programs in a range of specialties including physician assistants, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and health administrators.

Washington University in St. Louis held a ceremonial groundbreaking for Riney Hall in October of 2024. Serving as a cornerstone for scholarly and educational collaborations, the 110,000-sf facility will create a new home for the School of Arts & Sciences at the heart of the Danforth Campus. The departments of Sociology and African-American Studies will be located in the two-story building, as well as the Office of Graduate Studies and the Center for Undergraduate Advising in Arts & Sciences.

Lehigh University's new Health, Science & Technology Building is designed to break down silos between academic departments, to enhance faculty research and better prepare students for tomorrow’s transdisciplinary world. Three different lab modules—with no walls between them—facilitate easy transitions from one use to another, as well as expansion and contraction as needs change. And collaboration spaces are strategically located between labs throughout the building.

Prior to the development of a master plan for expansion of research facilities at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), campus facility planners conducted a 15-month strategic visioning initiative that resulted in the creation of a digital space planning and visualization tool called PREVIEW.

The University of California broke ground in September of 2024 on the Barbara and Gerson Bakar Research and Academic Building in San Francisco. Located on UCSF's Parnassus Heights campus, the $842 million facility was designed by HGA and Snøhetta to foster interdisciplinary discovery. The 323,000-gsf structure will feature advanced laboratories for programs in oncology, microbiology, diabetes, immunology, and cell biology.

Morgan State University opened the Health and Human Services Center in Baltimore in October of 2024. Designed by HOK in association with K. Dixon Architecture, this innovative hub for education, research, and community impact was built over the course of three years by Barton Malow. The $171 million facility offers leading-edge simulation suites, teaching laboratories, technology-enabled classrooms, and offices for faculty and staff. Interaction and knowledge exchange is enhanced by communal spaces that meet diverse needs.

The University of California, Riverside broke ground in October of 2024 on the Undergraduate Teaching & Learning Facility. Providing much-needed instructional space for multiple colleges and departments, the $156.3 million building will offer a seating capacity of approximately 1,700. The 100,700-gsf structure will accommodate two lecture halls, 19 classrooms, six biology labs, and four chemistry labs. An expanded dance studio with a sprung floor will be complemented by an outdoor performance area.