Master Plans

Houston Christian University broke ground in April of 2025 on the Smith Engineering, Science and Nursing Building to provide new opportunities for transformative education and further solidify its position as a leader in academic innovation. Kirksey Architecture designed the $60 million facility to meet the functional needs of both the College of Science and Engineering and the Linda Dunham School of Nursing while creating a vibrant destination for all students.

Hospitals and healthcare systems are stepping up to manage difficult choices. COVID funds have expired, staff are difficult to find and expensive to hire, and reimbursements aren’t keeping up with inflation. For those who are planning new and renovated healthcare spaces, the focus is on becoming more labor- and cost-efficient, benefiting from technology-driven ways of delivering healthcare while not losing the personal, human touch.

State Tax University (STU) has selected Stantec to design a major redevelopment of its campus in Irpin, Ukraine. Located 12 miles from the capital city of Kyiv, this landmark institution prepares students for degrees in public finance, law, and accounting, and is the only university in the country chartered by the Ministry of Finance. The visionary project goes beyond the mere replacement of previous structures to reimagine the campus as a catalyst for academic, social, and ecological regeneration.

Gilead Sciences is constructing the Cancer Research Center in Foster City to accelerate the creation of novel solutions for pressing medical challenges. Driven by the company's enterprise master plan, the project is part of a strategic initiative to develop an internal research infrastructure that advances discovery in key focus areas and brings new technological capabilities in-house. The 182,000-sf facility was designed by Gensler to catalyze synergies between 54 clinical programs spanning oncology, inflammation, and virology.

Roche announced the launch of the Roche Genentech Innovation Center in March of 2025 on Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus in Allston. With an initial lease of 30,000 sf of lab space in the first phase of construction, Roche intends to expand their R&D presence to eventually accommodate 500 employees. The initiative will bring together cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism experts with data science and AI specialists to accelerate innovation in drug discovery and development.

The University of Southampton broke ground in March of 2025 on a £180 million ($230 million) teaching and learning building on the Highfield campus in the United Kingdom. Designed by Sheppard Robson to foster creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence, the 166,800-sf facility will house lecture halls, seminar rooms, and faculty office space. The five-story structure will serve as the new home for the university’s Primary Care Research Centre and the Faculty of Medicine.

Though universities may update master plans every five or 10 years, many find planning works best when it is continual and flexible to accommodate program and leadership changes. A number of projects at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (HSC) in Fort Worth demonstrate the need to assess existing spaces and develop plans for growth and flexibility, as well as the benefits of building long-term relationships with architects and other vendors.

Al-Ahly Football Club broke ground in February of 2025 on a world-class stadium in the Sheikh Zayed City district of Cairo. The 42,000-seat venue will serve as Al-Ahly’s permanent home and carries an estimated cost of up to EGP 9 billion ($180 million).

Lee Health broke ground in January of 2025 on a 416,000-sf acute care facility in Fort Myers that will replace Lee Memorial. Representing an investment of approximately $434 million, the five-story, 168-bed hospital will accommodate 10 inpatient operating rooms, a 44-bed emergency room, and 24 intensive care unit beds. Patient rooms will integrate the latest smart technology for connected care to optimize scheduling, clinical support, and personalized interventions.

Virginia Tech opened the first building on its Innovation Campus in Alexandria in January of 2025. SmithGroup designed the 300,000-gsf facility to provide leading-edge environments for academic and research programs in computer science and engineering, as well as space for the Pamplin College of Business. Featuring specialized laboratories, a drone testing cage, and a two-story maker space, the 11-story development houses 14 classrooms, wellness venues for students and faculty, and the 3,000-sf Boeing Auditorium.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore opened a 250,000-sf innovation center in January of 2024 to drive biomedical advances and accelerate the discovery of new health solutions. Developed and operated by Wexford Science + Technology, 4MLK serves as the gateway to the UM BioPark and will offer leasable space for life science and technology companies.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa will break ground in early 2025 on a major capital improvement project to foster collaboration, engagement, and community on its Honolulu campus. The first phase comprises the construction of the five-story, 77,575-sf Interdisciplinary Learning Facility. On the first two floors, the academic building will feature 16 classrooms of various sizes available for all departments and programs.

The fast-moving nature of biotechnology innovation means architects and designers for Regeneron have to plan for researchers’ requirements to change by the time new laboratories open on the Tarrytown, N.Y., campus. The campus is undergoing a $1.8 billion expansion, adding 900,000 sf of new laboratory and office space, along with additional parking, amenities, and infrastructure to support research and development.

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.

When Wayne State University in Detroit released its campus plan—the Wayne Framework—in 2018, no one could have guessed how prophetic the school’s new approach would turn out to be. Rather than creating a campus plan that sets a specific schedule of chronological tasks and building projects, the Wayne Framework instead focuses on how the school should evaluate priorities on an ongoing basis, allowing the facilities department to remain flexible enough to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Within a few years of launching the Framework, those circumstances would include a global pandemic, catastrophic flooding, and numerous university leadership changes.