Higher Education

The landscape of academic research has shifted dramatically over the past three decades. Where scientists once worked within single disciplines, today’s researchers tackle complex societal challenges demanding collaboration across multiple fields, and the development of partnerships with private industries addressing the same issues. This evolution has fundamentally changed the approach to research facility design, requiring unique considerations for buildings whose users may not yet be identified and whose research hasn’t been imagined. As a result, the design process has become more cyclical, with fewer known variables upfront, requiring uncertainty management while still delivering buildings that will serve institutions for decades to come.

Central Washington University is constructing the North Academic Complex in Ellensburg as a unified home for the College of Arts and Humanities. Designed by Opsis Architecture and NAC, the $108 million facility will house a 240-seat lecture hall with state-of-the-art technological capabilities, 21 active learning classrooms, and 109 faculty offices.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville opened the Health Sciences Complex in April of 2026 to provide leading-edge facilities for the School of Pharmacy and the School of Nursing. The $117.4 million project encompassed the construction of a three-story, 106,000-sf structure that links two renovated and expanded buildings via an activated two-story atrium.

The University of Florida opened the Whitney Marine Research Center in April of 2026 in Marineland, Fla. Designed by Lord Aeck Sargent and TTV Architects, the $41.2 million facility more than doubles the available research space for the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience while expanding capacity for education and conservation efforts. The 38,000-sf building features 12 leading-edge labs, a dedicated microscopy area, aquaculture venues, and a maker space equipped with 3D printers and laser cutters.

LeTourneau University broke ground on the Christian Polytechnic University Center in April of 2026 in Longview, Texas. The 100,000-sf building will house the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, the School of Business, the Department of Computer Science, the Center for Academic Ministry, flexible collaboration zones, and an entrepreneurship hub.

The University of Utah Health dedicated the James LeVoy Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation in April of 2026 in Salt Lake City. Designed by VCBO Architecture, the $50 million facility will foster hands-on discovery, bridge connections between academia and industry, and accelerate the translation of leading-edge science into improved patient outcomes. The 60,000-sf building houses an ISO 8-compliant cleanroom, as well as advanced prototyping and assembly labs with the latest equipment for rapid design and fabrication.

Texas A&M University broke ground in April of 2026 on the Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute on the RELLIS campus in Bryan. Designed by Stantec, the $226 million research and development building aims to elevate regional leadership in the industry and advance next-generation discoveries. The collaborative 80,000-sf structure will feature Class 100 and 1000 cleanrooms modeled after fabrication facilities to enable full-scale production.

Collecting and analyzing data is par for the course in facilities planning and operations. But how is that data used, for how long, and how often is it updated? Poorly curated data can be barely more useful than no data at all. But many institutions don’t know where to start or how to make the best use of data they already have. Mining and strategically analyzing information can provide data-driven insights into space needs to help increase utilization, create space planning programs, and understand carbon footprints. 

No longer a place to just study and shush, the modern university library is more like a buzzing connection point for the entire campus. At the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, the recently renovated Mullins Library is no exception, with as many as 7,000 people going in and out every day. The largest of the U of A Libraries and central to the campus, the 300,000-sf facility now features new gathering spaces, new technology, and design updates that are adapted to the needs of today’s students.

Rogers State University broke ground in March of 2026 on the Robson Center for Science and Technology in Claremore, Okla. Designed by Parkhill, the 44,000-sf facility will provide vital capacity for growing, in-demand programs including chemical engineering, molecular biology, cybersecurity, robotics, and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as premedical courses, nursing, allied health, and environmental conservation. 

The University of Colorado Boulder opened the renovated Hellems Arts and Sciences Building in April of 2026. Designed by Hacker and Handprint Architecture, the $105.2 million facility houses the departments of english, history, linguistics, and philosophy, as well as the Anderson Language and Technology Center. Flexible, open classrooms will encourage active learning, adapt to new pedagogies, and support both team-based and lecture-oriented educational modalities.

The University of Texas at San Antonio opened San Pedro II in April of 2026 in the city’s downtown technology corridor to fuel innovation, education, and research. Designed by Gensler and OVERLAND Partners, the $131 million facility features flexible and reconfigurable spaces for the College of AI, Cyber and Computing, including classrooms, teaching labs, and meeting areas.

The University of New Mexico is engaged in a visionary renovation of the College of Pharmacy on the institution’s North Campus in Albuquerque. Designed by Vigil & Associates and Architekton, the 96,518-sf facility is undergoing a comprehensive transformation to create a sophisticated home for future pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. Flexible, leading-edge classrooms and research laboratories will be accompanied by collaboration venues that bring learners, faculty, and community partners together.

The University of Oklahoma is planning the $450 million Palace Project to reimagine the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Designed by Populous, the renovation of the west side will intentionally decrease seating capacity by 7,000 to add 47 suites, 64 loge boxes, and approximately 4,000 club seats. The fan experience will be elevated by improved sightlines, a more spacious environment, ADA-compliant seating, and new gathering spaces, including six premium club and lounge venues. 

Every new building is a gamble on the future, but some are bigger bets than others. These days, one of the highest-stakes wagers campus planners must make is how much to upgrade their high-performance facilities to meet tomorrow’s demand. It isn’t an easy call. Once relegated to distant basements, computer labs are now being built right in the heart of campus, a reflection of their ever-growing importance. With the number of majors that utilize high-performance computing expected to rise nationally by the end of the decade and the growing importance of cutting-edge supercomputers in recruiting the very best scholars, the overall direction is clear. But a lot can go wrong, which makes planning tomorrow’s high- performance computing facilities today very complicated and potentially risky.