Education: Classroom

The University of British Columbia opened the CAD 207.9 million Gateway Health building in Vancouver in February of 2026. Designed by Perkins&Will and Schmidt Hammer Lassen, the 270,550-sf facility showcases a six-story atrium connecting two five-story wings. This interdisciplinary nexus provides advanced teaching labs, flexible classrooms, and four large lecture halls, with interconnecting stairs reaching from the basement to the highest level to encourage physical activity.

Clemson University opened the Advanced Materials Innovation Complex in February of 2026 in Clemson, S.C. The $130 million building is the university's most technologically advanced facility to date and will enable the workforce of the future to gain hands-on experience in next-generation manufacturing processes.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore is constructing a dynamic home for the School of Social Work that will equip the next generation of change-makers to create new solutions for key societal challenges. Designed by Ballinger, the $125 million facility will feature modern learning environments that prioritize openness, transparency, and inclusivity. The 127,400-gsf building will consolidate activities previously dispersed in six separate locations, as well as accommodating the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Philosophy programs. 

Wake Technical Community College is constructing the Perry Family Simulation Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. The three-story, 106,000-sf building will be one of the largest and most comprehensive simulation hospitals in the United States when it opens in fall of 2027. BSA designed the multidisciplinary facility to enable students to participate in hands-on learning in environments that mirror real-world clinical settings.

The University of Oklahoma (OU) is constructing the Life Sciences Laboratories Building in Norman to expand its research capacity while addressing a crucial need for teaching labs tailored to the evolving demands of biology and chemistry education. Designed by CannonDesign and Miles Architecture, the $100 million project will provide 25 modern lab classrooms and a 250-seat lecture hall on the ground floor, with approximately 80,000 sf of the 105,000-sf structure dedicated to undergraduate learning.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) began construction in February of 2026 on the Center for Cybersecurity Research, Education & Advanced Training. Designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, the $48 million project will transform the Bevill Center, a hotel and conference venue, into an interdisciplinary nexus for collaboration, learning, and discovery.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) is constructing the Science and Health Sciences Building to expand undergraduate research capacity and create an anchor for a new innovation cluster. Designed by HOK and Potter Lawson, the $340.3 million structure will provide dynamic facilities for STEM courses and programs in nursing, psychology, pre-professional health sciences, public health, and environmental studies.

The University of Texas System is creating UTA West, a new regional campus for education and training in Fort Worth. Representing an estimated investment of $600 million, the multiphase project is slated to include five buildings totaling 930,000 gsf on the north parcel, as well as a 1,589-space parking garage. Up to four more structures could rise on the south parcel at a later stage.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building (ALGEN) is the product of a down-to-the-concrete renovation that transformed an aging, nondescript health sciences research facility into a modern, light-filled home to seven floors of four different dry lab phenotypes. The building is topped by an executive floor that, for the first time, brings together key leadership of the university’s health system and Heersink School of Medicine (HSOM). Fresh glazing on an expanse stretching over a busy downtown street creates a striking double helix pattern that telegraphs the building’s mission. A newly constructed conference center adjoins the renovated structure.

An overall trend toward lower admission rates, paired with a rise in online learning, is leading many universities to question whether they are carrying excess classroom and research space. Undergraduate enrollment at U.S. universities fell by almost 15% between 2012 and 2022, and studies suggest that this number could continue to drop each year by as much as 100,000, perhaps more if international students do not return to U.S.-based programs. A study published by Inside Higher Education states that “if the U.S. lost 15% of its international student population, a substantial number of colleges could experience financial repercussions.” The actual number is higher. Using 2022 enrollment statistics, Vermeulens, a construction economist firm, estimates that as much as 38 million sf of existing higher ed academic classroom and lab space could be unnecessary or would be better off repurposed.

The University of Toronto is planning to construct the James and Louise Temerty Building on its St. George Campus to provide the Temerty Faculty of Medicine with modern, collaborative environments for discovery and learning. Standing 11 stories high with two basement levels, the 398,000-gsf facility will offer multiple floors of wet and dry laboratories for interdisciplinary research that will be shared with the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Department of Cell & Systems Biology.

Auburn University broke ground in February of 2026 on the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility in Auburn, Ala. This vibrant new home for the College of Human Sciences will house nationally ranked and recognized programs in global studies, interior design, philanthropy and nonprofit studies, nutrition and dietetics, human development and family studies, and apparel merchandising, design, and production management.

Colorado State University is approaching the completion of construction on the 420,000-sf Veterinary Hospital and Education Complex (VHEC) in Fort Collins. The $230 million redevelopment project was designed by Clark & Enersen to enable a dynamic pedagogy that focuses on team-based learning, hands-on training, and strategies for personal resilience. A 213,000-sf addition will house a new primary care clinic providing medical, dental, ophthalmological, and pharmacy services, as well as emergency, urgent, and critical care.

Vincennes University celebrated the opening of the $33.9 million Center for Health Sciences and Learning Innovation in January of 2026 in Vincennes, Ind. As the new home for the College of Health Sciences and Human Performance, the 72,000-sf structure provides ultramodern classrooms and teaching labs for programs in nursing and allied health professions. Shared instructional venues for active learning are complemented by collaborative lounges, breakout spaces, and study areas.

Harris-Stowe State University broke ground in January of 2026 on a $62.3 million STEM building in St. Louis. This future-ready hub for learning and discovery will advance the University’s mission to prepare students for high-demand careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Designed by LJC, the 82,443-sf facility will include sophisticated teaching and research labs, maker spaces, and multifunctional classrooms that can be configured to mirror real-world work environments.