Princeton University’s Center for Jewish Life Undergoes Renovation

Architecture and design firm JZA+D recently completed an energy-efficient renovation and refurbishment of Princeton University’s Center for Jewish Life (CJL) in Princeton, NJ, a multipurpose facility housing assembly, education, and office functions and originally designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects in 1993.

Princeton University’Center for Jewish Life

Highly popular with students ever since opening, the wear-and-tear on the CJL was to be expected. Spearheaded by Joshua Zinder, AIA, founding principal of JZA+D, the renovation project did more than merely replace the worn-out finishes. About 17,800 square feet of building area has now been completely refreshed—finishes, furnishing, and fixtures—while mechanical systems and exterior building envelope including windows and front doors have been upgraded to reduce both energy consumption and long-term maintenance requirements.

“Today, students and other users of the Center for Jewish Life experience better organized interiors, new signage, and wayfinding. Also, improved lighting and artwork help bring the Center for Jewish Life up to the high standards that Princeton University consistently offers in all its campus facilities," says Zinder, vice president-elect of AIA New Jersey.

Featured

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

  • Upcoming University of Alabama Performing Arts Center Hits Construction Milestone

    The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala., recently celebrated the topping out of its new Smith Family Center for Performing Arts, according to a news release. The university is partnering with HPM for program and project management on the facility, which broke ground in 2023 and is scheduled for completion in November 2026.

  • North Carolina District Completes New Elementary School

    The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Holly Springs, N.C., recently announced that construction on a new elementary school has finished, according to a news release. Rex Road Elementary School measures in at 133,000 square feet and is the fifteenth school that general contractor Balfour Beatty has completed for the district.

  • Geometric abstract school illustration

    How Design Shapes Learning and Success

    Can the color of a wall, the curve of a chair, or the hum of fluorescent lights really affect how a student learns? More schools are beginning to think so.

Digital Edition