BGSU Breaks Ground on School of the Built Environment Facility

Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, held a groundbreaking ceremony last week for a new School of the Built Environment facility. Once complete, the building will play home to the construction management and architecture and environmental design programs. The project comes with a $10.4-million price tag and is scheduled for completion during the 2022-23 academic year.

The work includes a 22,900-square-foot expansion of an existing academic building on Park Avenue, which currently houses the architecture and environmental design program, and the new construction of an adjacent building. The new space will feature a 6,500-square-foot innovation lab for fabrication and construction classes, two digital labs, a materials and soils lab, classrooms and collaboration spaces.

“Having both programs under one location allows students in architecture and environmental design and construction management to learn from each other, which better prepares them for working on multidisciplinary teams,” said Dr. Joe B. Whitehead Jr., BGSU provost and senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. “It also allows our faculty to engage in collaborative research that will provide a deeper understanding of both fields, enhancing collaborative opportunities and driving student success.”

The School of the Built Environment is the only one of its kind in the state. BGSU also offers one of two Construction Management programs in Ohio and about 60 nationwide accredited by the American Council for Construction Education. The Park Avenue building had been previously renovated in 2014 to feature amenities like studios, a materials and reference library, a print room with plotters and laser cutters and an administrative suite for the architecture and environmental design program.

“As a public university for the public good, BGSU recognizes the importance of educating construction management students who understand design and architecture students who understand construction,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “This innovative facility will increase collaboration in the School of the Built Environment, and it will better serve students, who will be prepared for productive careers and meet the workforce needs in Ohio and beyond.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Fellowes Expands Finish and Wall-Covering Options for Architectural Wall Systems

    Fellowes Architectural Solutions has expanded the materials library for its architectural wall systems with a series of new finishes and wall-covering options intended to provide architects and designers with additional choices for commercial interiors, according to a company news release.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Tomball ISD Opens New Tomball West High School

    Tomball Independent School District in Tomball, Texas, recently celebrated the official opening of Tomball West High School, the district's third comprehensive high school, with a community ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to a district news release.