Columbia College Chicago Granted Building Permit for Student Center

Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, IL, recently was granted a building permit, and announced it is preparing to begin work on a new student center in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. The 114,000-square-foot facility, designed by Gensler, will fill a vacant lot.

The design for the new student center is centered on flexibility, including maker spaces, lofts, labs, and a fitness center and dining commons. The facility will feature a glass façade that allows occupants to look out and interact with the community surrounding it.

Columbia College Chicago Granted Building Permit for Student Center

With a groundbreaking held this past November, the center is targeting a completion date of early 2019.

Featured

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.

  • Barbara Vick Western Branch

    Barbara Vick Western Branch

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Barbara Vick Western Branch has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • USC Launches Major AI Initiative After $200M Gift

    The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., recently announced that it has launched a “transformational” new AI initiative thanks to a $200M gift, according to a news release. The project will leverage AI toward breakthroughs and innovations in subjects like the health sciences, business, security, and the arts.