New Construction
Saint Francis University in Loretto, Penn., recently held a Blessing and Dedication ceremony for its new Aviation Education Center at the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, according to a news release. The building’s opening coincides with the inaugural year of the university’s FAA-certified Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) program.
Campus Renovations
Riverside City College recently announced the completion of a $29.3-million renovation project, according to a news release. The college partnered with Nineteen Six Architects and builder C.W. Driver Companies to convert a 1960s-era academic building into a new Business, Law, and Computer Information Systems Building.
New Construction
Multidisciplinary consultancy Pick Everard recently announced that construction is complete on a new specialist school for students with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs in Shepshed, Leicestershire, England, according to a news release. Bowman Academy will open in September 2024 and serve students ages 4–16.
Staff Promotions
Architectural planning and design firm PBK recently announced the hiring of a new Chief Strategy & Growth Officer for its office in Houston, Texas, who will lead the firm’s strategic growth initiatives like mergers and acquisitions.
New Construction
Rock Ridge Public Schools in Virginia, Minn., recently announced that construction of the district’s newest elementary school is complete. North Star Elementary cost $28.5 million and has the capacity for 600 students in grades 3–6, according to a news release.
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Campus Technology
Property operations and maintenance software provider Facilio has onboarded three new education institutions, the company announced in a press release. Breck School in Minnesota, Purdue University Fort Wayne in Indiana, and Acorn Early Years in the United Kingdom will all implement Facilio's Connected CMMS suite.
Campus Technology
LocknCharge, a developer of solutions for charging, storing, securing, and managing mobile technologies, has announced the FUYL Enhanced Smart Locker System, a software, hardware, and app-based kiosk solution for authenticated self-serve access to mobile devices with integrated device management.
Renovation
Eleven schools across DeKalb County School District and Atlanta Public Schools in the Greater Atlanta metropolitan area are undergoing renovations totaling over $120 million. The districts selected construction company Balfour Beatty for the projects, which will tackle a variety of building and system upgrades.
Renovation
Colorado's Cañon City Schools has broken ground on a new construction project at its flagship institution, Cañon City High School.
Emerging Tech
Education technology company Cengage has announced Student Assistant, a generative AI tool designed to guide students through the learning process with personalized resources and feedback, now available in beta.
New Construction
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District's newly built Eagle Mountain High School has opened its doors to students for the first day of school.
New Construction
The University of Montana in Missoula, Mont., recently broke ground on a new, 600-bed residence hall to address housing needs on campus, according to a university news release. The university has seen three consecutive years of enrollment growth against the backdrop of a local housing market less than conducive to student needs.
Sustainability
Mullen Automotive recently announced that Princeton University in Princeton, N.J., recently purchased a Mullen THREE, Class 3 electric vehicle (EV) box truck upfit for its facilities operations unit, according to a news release. The unit includes about 350 vehicles—including cars, vans, golf carts, and construction vehicles—for various transportation needs around campus.
Military Education
The United States' five State Maritime Academies are responsible for educating the next generation of officers in the merchant marine. To better equip those five institutions to provide that critical educational foundation, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has been gradually working to decommission and replace their current fleet of training ships––which were originally designed for the use of steam power and have begun to age beyond their viability.
Campus Technology
Edtech manufacturer Cyber Acoustics recently announced the launch of the AC-6014 USB-C Headset, designed for use in K–12 and virtual classrooms, according to a news release. The announcement comes on the heels of three recent USB-C products including two headsets with a microphone and one without.
Campus Technology
Global education company McGraw Hill recently announced that it has added two new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools to help personalize learning experiences for both K–12 and Higher Ed students, according to a news release.
Campus Technology
Interior workplace solutions provider Fellowes recently announced that it is expanding two of its popular product lines. The extensions to its Sena and Rising lines will offer new degrees of functionality and aesthetic appeal to a wide variety of corporate and educational environments, according to a news release.
Campus Renovations
The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) recently announced the completion of the new Pulaski K8 School in Savannah, Ga., according to a news release. The district partnered with general contractor Balfour Beatty and architecture firm Goodwyn Mills Cawood to convert an existing K–5 school into a single learning space for elementary- and middle-school students.
Campus Renovations
The Cotulla Independent School District in South Texas recently broke ground on a series of additions and renovations to its high school, originally built in 1957, according to a news release. The project was designed by Pfluger Architects, and construction will take place in two phases scheduled for completion by 2026.
Healthy Schools
California Senate Bill 1182, the Climate Resilient Schools Act, recently passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will now face a vote on the Assembly Floor, according to a news release.
Campus Renovations
Integrated construction management firm Kraus-Anderson recently announced that it has completed addition projects at three schools within Marshall County Central Schools in Minnesota, according to a news release. Funding came from an $18.9-million building referendum passed by the community in August 2022 to create new space for students and school programs.
Campus Renovations
Home to some of St. Louis’s brightest young minds, the Idea Center on the campus of Lindbergh High School transforms a static, decades-old library into dynamic learning spaces where design facilitates community, and every space encourages exploration, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
New Construction
Construction on the new University Village Housing and Dining (UHVD) facility at Cal State University San Marcos in San Marcos, Calif., recently hit a milestone, according to a news release. Project builder McCarthy Building Companies recently announced the concrete start and tower crane arrival for the 140,661-square-foot facility, which is scheduled for completion in summer 2026.
New Construction
Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new, 130,000-square-foot Academic Sciences Building (ASB), according to a news release. The facility stands three stories and broke ground about two and a half years ago. It plays home to five academic departments in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Campus Technology
Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) recently announced a partnership with edtech solutions provider Discovery Education, according to a news release. All of the district’s K–8 students and teachers will gain access to DreamBox Math, which blends curriculum and continuous formative assessments that adapt to student needs to boost achievement.
Staff Promotions
Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that Principal Dominick Roveto will serve as its new Science+Technology Leader in the higher education, workplace, and healthcare sectors. According to a news release, his specialty is creating technical, interactive environments that allow for collaboration between different scientific and academic disciplines.
New Construction
The Menifee Union School District in Riverside County, Calif., recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, Sally Buselt Elementary School. The 75,000-square-foot school cost $54.5 million, and it will serve 600 students in grades K–5, according to a news release.
Healthy Schools
Clean school restrooms are vital for students’ wellbeing and education. Research shows unclean restrooms can amplify the spread of bacteria and viruses. lllness is a main cause of student absenteeism, which can lead to poor school performance and potentially school dropout.
Podcast
Today’s guest is Devin Bowman, General Manager of Technical Glass Products (TGP) and AD Systems. We’ll talk about the relationship between school architecture and designing for safety as design aspects like natural light and floor-to-ceiling windows become more common.
New Construction
Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine recently announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with WellSpan Health to establish a second regional campus in Central Pennsylvania, according to a news release.
Staff Promotions
Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has promoted Jacob Marshall to its Associates Leadership Team, according to a news release. Marshall has been with Wold for six years and serves as an electrical engineer, having contributed to the design and construction of multiple education- and government-sector projects.
Campus Transportation
Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) in New Orleans, La., recently announced the expansion of a community-run bikeshare program to its campus, according to a news release. Blue Bikes offers students, staff, and faculty a convenient and sustainable means of transportation in its first expansion since relaunching in fall 2021.
Business
Washroom accessories, commercial toilet partitions, and visual display products manufacturer ASI Group recently announced that it has acquired Marsh Industries, which produces markerboards, chalkboards, and other visual display products, effective Aug. 1, 2024, according to a news release.
Health and Wellness
In recent years, the pursuit of the perfectly decorated classroom has taken a serious toll on teachers' well-being. The competition to create visually stunning and intricately decorated classrooms has become overwhelming. It is leaving many educators feeling stressed and over-burdened by the unrealistic expectations that come from the viral images of classroom “perfection” on social media.
Campus Safety
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics at the U.S. Department of Justice recently released its annual Report on Indicators of School Crime and Safety, a news release reports.
Campus Renovations
Contrary to popular belief, most preservation work is future-oriented. Existing buildings are surprisingly resilient, allowing architects to preserve their unique features while adding modifications as needed to fit current safety, accessibility, and inclusivity needs. Balancing form and function can be a delicate operation in historic structures, but we have found inspiration in the culture and missions of the institutions we have worked with.
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Awards
Spaces4Learning is proud to announce the winners of its 2024 New Product Award. The New Product Award program honors the outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance the learning environment.
Healthy Schools
Lysol recently announced that in advance of the 2024–25 school year, it will be donating Lysol Minilabs Science Kits to Title I schools throughout the country through its HERE for Healthy Schools initiative, according to a news release. The program’s goal is to prevent the spread of illness in schools and promote the tools for clean learning and living environments.
Acoustics
Poor acoustics within classrooms create challenging environments for children, who possess heightened sensitivity compared to adults or older peers. These conditions, characterized by noise and reverberation, significantly impact their ability to engage in tasks that require listening comprehension, as well as non-auditory functions like short-term memory, reading, and writing.
Calendar
Campus Technology
Interactive technology solutions provider SMART Technologies recently launched a new solution to support neurodiverse learners, according to a news release. The Inclusive Classroom Bundle was designed to meet the specific needs of students with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia.
Campus Technology
Projector brand Epson America recently launched a new series of projector stacking frames, ceiling mounts, and other accessories for its 3-chip 3LCD large venue laser projectors, a news release reports.
Campus Technology
Texas A&M University Technology Services (TAMU TS) recently announced a partnership with managed connectivity solutions provider Kajeet to deploy a private LTE network solution on its campus in College Station, Texas, according to a news release.
New Construction
The new building for Clendenin Elementary School in Clendenin, W.Va., is set to open its doors to students this fall, eight years after the school was destroyed during a 2016 flood along the Elk River, according to local news.
Campus Renovations
Matern Professional Engineering recently announced that work is almost complete on the redevelopment of an elementary school in Fort Myers, Fla., according to a news release. Every building except one on the campus of Franklin Park Elementary School was demolished and replaced with modern facilities.
New Construction
Sonoma Academy—a private, co-ed college preparatory school in Santa Rosa, Calif.—recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 350-seat Community Performing Arts Center, according to a news release. The facility will play home to the school’s music, theater, and film productions and host various types of programming for the community at large.
Architecture
Ashley McGraw Architects, based in Syracuse, N.Y., recently announced that it has acquired the 15-person architecture and landscape design firm studioMLA Architects, based in Brookline, Mass. The acquired firm will be rebranded as the Early Childhood Education Studio, and studioMLA founder Mike Lindstrom will become Ashley McGraw’s seventh partner, according to a news release.
New Construction
Texas A&M University at Galveston in Galveston, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of a new Engineering Classroom and Research Building. The university is partnering with Turner Construction Company for the project’s construction, which has an estimated completion date of fall 2025.