Northwestern State University Breaks Ground on New Academic Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/16/23

Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., recently celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony for a new academic building named after a former university president. Alost Hall will measure in at 73,200 square feet and feature multipurpose classrooms for a wide variety of academic disciplines, according to a university news release. The total cost of the project is $44 million.

“It is incredibly significant for everybody, and for students that are not even on campus yet, students who are not even born yet. They are going to benefit from this investment, so in a very real way, this groundbreaking is a testament to the work that we have all done collectively to invest again in higher education,” said Louisiana Gov. Jon Bel Edwards at the ceremony. “Education is the engine for economic growth and diversification. It is the key to opportunity and prosperity for everybody.”

Amenities in the new facility will include simulation laboratories for nursing and anesthesia programs; a clinic and training area for social work and psychology students; twelve 30-person classrooms; two 40-person classrooms; three 50-person classrooms; and space for 60 offices and an administrative office area, as well as a large conference room and reception area.

“Today, we gather to celebrate the start of a new chapter in the lift of our institution as we begin construction of the state-of-the-art building that will serve as the hub of innovation, collaboration, and learning for generations of students, faculty, and staff to come,” said NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones. “This groundbreaking is a testament to the unwavering commitment of excellence in education, research, and service to our community.”

Local news reports that the new facility will replace John S. Kyser Hall, the largest building on campus, which was built in 1968.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • New Kent State Academic Building Earns LEED Silver Certification

    Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently announced that its newest academic building, Crawford Hall, has earned a LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a news release. The facility was recognized for its innovative design, water conservation technologies, energy-efficient systems, and sustainable construction materials, among other features.

  • California Boarding School Opens New Inquiry Collaborative Facility

    Cate School, a boarding school in Carpinteria, Calif., for students grades 9–12, recently announced that it has finished renovating a historic dining hall into a new academic hub, according to a news release. The school partnered with Blackbird Architects and Tangram Interiors on the two-story, 16,000-square-foot Inquiry Collaborative.

  • KI Launches K–12 Classroom Furniture Giveaway

    Contract furniture company KI recently announced the launch of its fourth-annual Classroom Furniture Giveaway, which awards $50,000 each to four K–12 educators across the U.S., according to a news release. The goal is to address decreasing student engagement and increasing teacher burnout numbers by updating learning spaces to accommodate modern needs.

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.