Energy Use Reduction

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. 

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 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.

The University of Arkansas opened the Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research (I³R) in August of 2025 on its Fayetteville campus. Designed by HGA and Hufft, the $137.6 million facility will accelerate cross-disciplinary research to foster convergence across the public and private sectors and address pressing problems in domains such as medicine, food systems, and cyber technologies. The 144,000-sf building accommodates five wings.

The University of California, San Francisco began construction in August of 2025 on the Life Sciences Building located in the Dogpatch Power Station redevelopment. Designed by Herzog & de Mueron and Stantec, the transformative facility will drive bioscience innovation by bringing together research, best-in-class patient care, and graduate-level training with venues for new biomedical companies.

The University of Nevada opened the John Tulloch Business Building in August of 2025 in Reno. Designed by LMN Architects, the $155 million facility will serve as a hub for pedagogical excellence and innovation for the College of Business. Spanning 128,000 sf, the five-story structure features a 300-seat auditorium, interactive study spaces, and dynamic classrooms that integrate sophisticated technologies to support case method teaching strategies.

Brown University is constructing the William A. and Ami Kuan Danoff Laboratories in Providence’s Jewelry District to support integrated life sciences research. The 300,000-sf facility was designed by TenBerke and Ballinger to catalyze innovation and the commercialization of impactful scientific and medical breakthroughs. The seven-story building will provide six levels of wet and dry laboratories and research cores for programs in biology, medicine, neuroscience, bioengineering, and public health.

Roanoke College is constructing the Shaun McConnon Discovery Center in Salem, Va. Designed by VMDO Architects, the $60 million project will advance the study of biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, and engineering. Forming a dynamic link between the existing Life Science building and Trexler Hall, the four-story facility will feature eight teaching labs, classrooms, and technology-rich fabrication and visualization labs to provide opportunities for hands-on learning.

State-of-the-art labs are more efficient, cheaper, and more pleasant for the animals housed there than older designs. Despite all these advantages, most labs are decades out of date, say laboratory architect Jeff Zynda of Perkins&Will and laboratory veterinary consultant John J. Hasenau. The longtime collaborators point out that outdated labs are missing out on a broad range of improvements—from more efficient HVAC systems to a deeper understanding of light spectrums to better cage design—that are more comfortable for the animals, more useful for the scientists, and less expensive to operate.

Oxford United Football Club is planning to construct an all-electric stadium in the United Kingdom to elevate the fan experience. Designed by AFL Architects, the 16,000-seat venue will feature additional levels at the north and west stands, adjoined by a 180-bed hotel. The wider mixed-use development may also include a 1,000-seat conference center, a 7,427-sf gym, an 8,826-sf health and wellbeing zone, and a 2,152-sf sports bar.

Folsom Lake College opened Oak Hall Science Building in August of 2025 to expand program offerings and foster educational excellence for the next generation of STEM professionals. Designed by HMC Architects with Research Facilities Design (RFD) as laboratory consultant, the $86 million facility houses classrooms and lecture halls alongside a 4,000-sf science center at the main entrance.

University of Michigan Health broke ground on the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Troy Center for Specialty Care in August of 2025 to increase access to advanced clinical care throughout the state. Designed by Hobbs+Black Architects, the $250 million complex will provide diagnostic and therapeutic services alongside an ambulatory venue with operating rooms for both surgeries and procedures. Imaging capabilities will encompass CT scans, MRIs, and mammograms, and treatment protocols will be supported with an infusion suite and a LINAC machine.

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) broke ground on an academic and research building for the physical sciences in July of 2025 in the Netherlands. The dynamic facility will colocate departments from the Faculty of the Applied Sciences on the college’s south campus and stimulate excellence in education, discovery, and collaboration.

The University of Utah is building a $155 million dormitory complex in Salt Lake City as part of a public-private partnership with American Campus Communities. Designed by Ayers Saint Gross and MHTN Architects, the six-story residence hall will add 1,446 beds for first and second year students.

Masaryk University (MU) is constructing the MUNI BioPharma Hub to drive excellence in research, education, and innovation in Brno in the Czech Republic. Offering three underground levels and six stories above grade, the 163,504-sf project was designed by Pelčák a partner architekti to combine leading-edge scientific infrastructure with modern academic venues.