New Construction
The Villages in Central Florida, one of the largest retirement communities in the nation, recently announced the expansion of The Villages Charter School to include new facilities for its high school, K–8 school, and Early Learning Center, according to a news release. The schools serve children of residents who work at various businesses within the community.
Campus Design
We all experience boredom at times. Not everything can be thrilling and engaging. However, this should not be the prevalent case for student learning in several classrooms. Over the past several years, data collected on student learning experiences often paint a dismal picture. Students are disengaged and bored. What can school leaders and architects do to combat this crisis in schools?
Outdoor Learning Spaces
We've all heard it a million times. "Go outside and get some fresh air." Well, Mom was right, and not just about being bored on a summer afternoon. There’s solid research that shows taking the classroom outside can be a game-changer, especially when it is introduced early to our youngest learners.
Campus Renovations
Edwin Forrest Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pa., recently celebrated the completion of a $22-million renovation project, according to a news release. The School District of Philadelphia partnered with DIGroup Architecture (DIG) for the project’s design. Work on the almost century-old campus included significant interior renovations, repairs to the exterior building envelope, and restoration.
Campus Housing
Scion Advisory Services recently launched its new Strategic Housing Planning Service, a cost-effective and collaborative process that provides colleges and universities with a method to align its student-housing offerings with its institutional mission, according to a news release. The service takes into account the needs, hurdles, and possibilities across a full campus housing system, as opposed to the single residential facility that tends to be the focus of many feasibility or demand studies.
New Construction
George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., recently announced the groundbreaking of the new Activities Community Wellness Building for its campus. The facility will measure in at 25,000 square feet and is scheduled to open in spring 2025. It will play home to student programs, events, and the school’s pep band, according to a news release.
New Construction
NeoCity Academy in Kissimmee, Fla., recently completed a 53,000-square-foot, three-story addition to its campus, according to a news release. The school partnered with construction firm Skanska on the project, which includes 26 new classrooms with collaborative learning spaces and labs.
Campus Amenities
Commercial plumbing systems manufacturer Sloan recently announced the launch of Sloan DropSpot, the company’s first line of bottle fillers and water coolers, according to a news release. The fillers come in a stainless steel or black powder-coated finish for placement in commercial or educational environments and also include an easy-access filter for maintenance purposes.
Campus Technology
The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., recently announced that it is working with intelligent power management company Eaton to install a new electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure for its campus, according to a news release. The project is part of the university’s larger goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Campus Technology
Texas Christian University is implementing a new video management platform to support media creation, hosting, storage, and distribution solution campuswide.
Facilities Management
Student housing services provider Corvias Property Management has received a SatisFacts "Community Award for 2023" for delivering exceptional service at Purdue University.
Campus Technology
For educators and administrators balancing classes and meetings from multiple locations, Optoma has unveiled three new interactive displays with whiteboarding and Google-powered collaboration capabilities.
Virtual Spaces
The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), an offshoot of the University System of Maryland that focuses on hybrid and virtual courses for adult and military students, has committed to a university-wide rollout of InScribe's virtual community platform.
Podcast
This episode’s guest is Michael Dunn, Technical Sales Manager for Energy Saving Ceilings & PCM at Armstrong World Industries. He’s here to talk about how Phase Change Material (PCM) can help provide energy savings in schools.
New Construction
Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., recently announced that construction is complete on the third phase of a new university office park, according to a news release. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new 80,000-square-foot, four-story innovation and collaboration hub makes the end of the third phase of the Edge Collaboration District’s development.
Athletics
The University of North Alabama has broken ground on a new athletics construction project that will build the first dedicated stadium for its community of Florence, Ala.
Campus Funding
Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla., recently received a state budget allocation of $156.5 million to go toward the university’s STEM, OSU Polytech, and engineering programs, according to a news release. The record amount includes $80 million, which the university plans to match through private donations, for a new 220,000-square-foot life and physical science building.
Awards
The Emerging Technology Solutions Team from the Harvard Division of Continuing Education (DCE) recently received a 2024 Eduventures Innovation Award at the annual Summit in Chicago, Ill., according to a news release. DCE designed, developed, and implemented the HELIX Portable Blended Classroom.
Campus Renovations
Brentwood County High School in Brentwood, Essex, United Kingdom, recently completed a four-year project to approve student accessibility and retention, according to a news release. Additions to the school include two new specialist teaching blocks, a renovated sports hall, new landscaping, and a multi-use play area.
Awards
Spaces4Learning is proud to announce the winners of the 2024 Education Design Showcase! Now in its 25th year, the S4L Education Design Showcase honors innovative solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction across K–12 and higher education. The program’s goal is to share ideas and best practices to help schools of all grade levels achieve outstanding learning environments.
Outdoor Spaces
The concept of reconnecting with nature in schools is gaining momentum as we begin to understand the greater benefits these spaces provide within the educational framework, such as learning in multiple dimensions; academic learning; social interaction; personal development and well-being; mental, physical, and social health; creativity; and much more.