FAU Temporarily Closes Building that Opened This Year

Florida Atlantic University’s John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter, Fla., recently announced the temporary closure of an academic building that was completed in Nov. 2022 and opened in January of this year, according to local news. The university announced that residents of the Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute building will be displaced for about six months following problems with its control systems.

The university partnered with the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation for the building’s development, according to the University Press, and its mission is focused on education, research, and community outreach. Research focuses on brain disorders including autism, addiction, brain cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The facility stands three stories and measures in at 58,000 square feet. The Palm Beach Post reports that the building’s final inspection—conducted by a state fire marshal and the university’s building code administrator—did not reveal the problem that caused the building’s closure. University spokeswoman Cara Perry said that the building was evacuated out of “an abundance of caution” and that “progress is being made” toward the problem’s resolution.

“The Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute building on FAU’s MacArthur campus in Jupiter is undergoing an evaluation of its building services systems due to some apparent malfunctions,” said Joshua Glanzer, FAU Associate Vice President for Public Affairs and Media Relations. “In an abundance of caution, most of the occupants of the building have moved to alternate spaces on the Jupiter campus while these issues are evaluated and addressed. Initial estimates suggest the project may take up to six months, but it is far too early to establish a firm time frame. The Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute’s work and operations will be uninterrupted during this time.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.