Higher Education

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) will begin construction in summer of 2024 on the $120 million Healthcare Delivery & Innovation Building. Designed by RDG and Clark & Enersen, the 200,000-sf facility will provide state-of-the-art learning environments for the School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry. The six-story structure will feature advanced simulation suites and clinical training labs where the next generation of medical professionals will gain hands-on experience in the delivery of team-based care.

Montana State University is constructing Gianforte Hall to accommodate world-class programs in computer science, technology, and related fields of study. Designed by Lake Flato and Hennebery Eddy Architects, the 58,000-nsf building will provide teaching and research labs for robotics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, software development, and augmented and virtual reality.

The University of Kentucky broke ground in June of 2024 on the $285 million Agricultural Research Building in Lexington. Designed by BHDP Architecture and Flad Architects, the 263,000-sf facility will serve as the central research hub for the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette began construction in June of 2024 on a significant expansion of the New Iberia Research Center, the nation's largest facility for nonhuman primates. Creating an onsite BSL-3 laboratory for the study of infectious diseases and select agents, the $25 million project will enable the development of novel vaccines, diagnostics, and mitigation solutions. Paul J.

The University of California, Berkeley is planning to construct the Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub as part of a new downtown innovation zone. Designed by Gensler, the five-story, 145,000-sf facility will provide wet and dry laboratories, collaboration spaces, conference rooms, and offices. The robust structure will also include flexible scale-up suites for the development of renewable energy solutions, carbon-capture technologies, and greener building materials and agricultural practices. 

Washington State University Vancouver dedicated the $63.8 million Life Sciences Building in June of 2024. Designed by SRG + CannonDesign, the 60,000-sf facility collocates the university’s basic, translational, applied, and clinical health programs in a single integrated location. The three-story structure provides faculty research suites, classrooms and teaching labs for biology and chemistry, and specialized learning venues for courses in nursing, psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and molecular biology.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is constructing the Sustainable Engineering Laboratories, a national hub for clean energy innovation. Featuring flexible, multimodal learning venues, the $125 million facility was designed by Payette to provide technology-rich environments for immersive teaching and research programs. The vibrant structure will house the Energy Transition Institute, the Wind Energy Center, the UMass Transportation Center, and labs for autonomous vehicle technologies, energy storage, and ocean energy systems.

The $93 million Agriculture & Natural Resources Building (ANRB) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville provides enhanced research, education, and collaboration with advanced technology, specialized labs, flexible classrooms, a large commons area, a 500-seat auditorium, lecture halls, seamless connections to nearby academic buildings, and a welcoming pedestrian plaza to engage the community. A biophilic design connects students, faculty, and staff with nature through the use of clerestory windows and a green roof that acts as an exterior living room with research gardens.  

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire broke ground on the $340.3 million Science and Health Sciences Building in June of 2024. Designed by HOK and Potter Lawson, the 330,000-sf facility will collocate STEM courses in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics with programs in nursing, psychology, pre-professional health sciences, and public health and environmental studies. The vibrant five-story structure will feature an accessible sixth level with a greenhouse, a telescope observatory dome, and a mechanical room.

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School opened the $325 million New Education and Research Building in June of 2024 in Worcester. ZGF Architects and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge designed the 350,000-sf project to drive discovery in gene therapy, molecular medicine, and the neurosciences, as well as housing the departments of neurology and neurobiology.

Johns Hopkins University is constructing The Village, an innovative student center located on the Homewood campus in Baltimore. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group as a social engagement hub for all members of the Hopkins community, the $250 million facility will provide an array of flexible spaces that foster connection and collaboration.

Oregon State University broke ground in April of 2024 on the $213 million Jen-Hsun Huang and Lori Mills Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex in Corvallis. Designed by ZGF Architects, the 143,000-sf facility will accommodate team-based research programs in semiconductors, materials science, artificial intelligence, and robotics. These next-generation technologies will provide new solutions to global challenges in climate science, oceanography, and water resources. 

Columbia University broke ground in late May of 2024 on the first all-electric biomedical research building in New York City. Designed by KPF, the 77,000-sf facility will drive innovation in genetic and genomic science to create new treatments for some of the most significant threats to human health today. The eight-story structure will feature state-of-the-art laboratories linked by "collaboration corners" with welcoming lounges for informal interaction and exchange.

The University of Rochester opened the newly expanded Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) in May of 2024 in Brighton, N.Y. Featuring Class 1000 cleanrooms, the 66,600-sf addition includes general and wet-bench research venues, a laser computing center, and open office environments. The three-story structure will enable the construction of the AMICA laser system, prototyping of the NSF OPAL lasers, and the creation of next-generation targets, diagnostics, and optics for national security efforts.

The sudden pivot to virtual learning during the COVID pandemic has changed higher education for the foreseeable future. Interviews with more than 250 students, professors, and space planners at more than 100 campuses around the world reveal that 18- to 24-year-old students missed being on campus and are glad to be back. But they have changed; the institutions have changed; and campuses don’t quite fit anyone’s needs anymore. Learn the 10 insights from these interviews that can help shape the future of your campus design.