College of the Atlantic Plans New $13M Academic Building

This spring, groundbreaking will take place on the campus of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, ME, on a new $13-million, energy-efficient Center for Human Ecology building that will house science laboratories, lecture halls, faculty offices, art and design studios, and a teaching greenhouse.

College of the Atlantic

The two-story, 29,000-square-foot building will be built to exacting energy standards, reducing energy usage by 80 percent compared to a similar building with more traditional construction designs and materials.

The architects for the project are Susan T. Rodriguez of New York City and GO Logic of Belfast, Maine. E.L. Shea, Inc. of Ellsworth is expected to lead construction of the building, which is expected to be completed by September 2020.

Featured

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • S4L Announces 2026 Education Design Showcase Winners

    Spaces4Learning is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 27th year, the annual awards program honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education.