Technology
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) recently announced its partnership with Avantis Education to bring educational virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) solution ClassVR to its students. A news release reports that the district has already deployed more than 16,000 ClassVR headsets as part of the Los Angeles Unified Instructional Technology Initiative.
Campus Renovations
The David Douglas School District in Portland, Ore., recently selected Balfour Beatty company Howard S. Wright to deliver $15.7 million in renovations and repairs across multiple schools and facilities, according to a news release. The district also partnered with BBL Architects for the projects’ designs.
New Construction
Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., recently debuted its new Baking Innovation Lab (BIL), part of the Hartwick Center for Craft Food and Beverage, according to a news release. The 3,500-square-foot facility serves as a lab for innovation, collaboration, and experimentation within the food and grain sector.
New Construction
The Board of Regents at the University of Michigan recently approved the construction of a new, $35-million parking structure for its Medical Campus in Ann Arbor, Mich., according to a university news release. It will provide 570 new spaces for visitors to the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Pavilion and is scheduled for completion in winter 2026.
New Construction
Virginia Tech recently partnered with construction management firm Procon Consulting to establish the Procon Innovation Center on its campus in Blacksburg, Va., according to a news release. The facility inside the university’s newly built Hitt Hall will offer hands-on collaboration and learning opportunities for students in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction and College of Engineering.
New Construction
The University of Massachusetts Amherst in Amherst, Mass., recently began construction on a new home for the School of Public Health & Health Services (SPHHS), whose current academic spaces are currently scattered around campus, according to a news release.
New Construction
The University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., recently announced that it will soon begin construction on a new academic building for the department of agricultural and biological engineering (ABE), according to a news release. The W.W. Glenn Teaching Building is scheduled to begin construction by the end of 2024 and finish by August 2025, in time for the new academic year.
Adaptive Reuse
The Hillbrook School in San José, Calif., recently announced that one of its two adaptive reuse projects on campus is complete, according to a news release. The school partnered with Anderson Brulé Architects and Swenson Development & Construction to convert an armory—built in 1934 and used by the National Guard during World War II—into a new academic space, the Arts & Athletics Center.
New Construction
DIGroup Architecture recently announced that it has been selected to design a new Hall of Science & Entrepreneurship at Saddle River Day School, a PreK¬–12 school in Saddle River, N.J., according to a news release. The project is part of the larger, schoolwide “Building the Future Campaign,” and its purpose is to promote critical thinking, scientific exploration, and an entrepreneurial spirit within the learning environment.
Campus Renovations
Tennessee College of Applied Tech Memphis (TCAT Memphis) in Memphis, Tenn., recently announced that it has approved documents from DLR Group and 4FDesign for an upcoming multi-phased renovation project, a news release reports. DLR Group previously completed the college’s 2020 TCAT Statewide Master Plan Update.
New Contruction
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wis., recently celebrated the grand opening of a new Chemistry Building, according to a news release. The facility measures in at 163,400 square feet, stands four stories, and has the capacity for about 5,000 chemistry and biochemistry students.
New Construction
Edgecombe County Public Schools in Edgecombe, N.C., recently announced that it has received government funding to go toward the development of the new North Edgecombe School of Innovation, according to a news release.
New Construction
General contracting, construction management, and design-build services provider Balfour Beatty recently announced that two of its joint venture teams were selected by the Crowley Independent School District (CISD) in Fort Worth, Texas, for a series of district construction projects.
New Construction
The Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) in Milpitas, Calif., recently announced that Phase Two of construction is complete on the MUSD Innovation Campus, according to a news release. The district is partnering with Blach Construction and Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) on the education and workforce development center, which will support Calaveras Hills High School.
New Construction
Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) in Prince William County, Va., recently broke ground on Occoquan Elementary School, according to a news release. The new facility will become the district’s first net-zero school and replace its oldest facility. The school is scheduled to open for the fall 2026 semester.
Campus Renovations
Minneapolis Public Schools in Minneapolis, Minn., is working with integrated construction management firm Kraus-Anderson on renovations to North High School that include a new Career & Technical Education (CTE) Center, according to a news release. The three major components of the project are new academic and athletic spaces, a new central student commons, and a North CTE Center.
New Construction
Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently completed construction on a new home for the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine, according to a news release. Arnold Hall, standing four stories and covering 95,000 square feet, is the university’s first major off-campus development.
Campus Renovations
Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., recently began construction on a $137-million renovation project to one of its largest academic buildings, according to local news.
Last week, one of the three wings of Clark Hall (“Clark B”) was demolished to clear the way for a ground-up replacement.
Campus Renovations
The University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Gray Design Building, the new home for the College of Design. The renovated building formerly served as a tobacco warehouse that had been empty for years, according to a news release.
New Construction
St. John’s University in New York, N.Y., recently held a dedication ceremony for the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center, according to a news release. The fully-energy efficient, sustainable, and all-electric facility will serve as an academic building for the university’s healthcare students.
New Construction
The Georgia Gwinnett College (GCC) Gateway Building and Infrastructure project in Lawrenceville, Ga., is on track for its November 2024 completion date, according to a news release.
New Construction
Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction has begun on a new performing arts center for the campus, according to a news release. The David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance will serve as the new home for the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.), as well as a wide variety of performances, public gatherings, teaching opportunities, and international research.
New Construction
North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., recently announced that construction is complete on its newest agricultural facility. The Peltier Complex will play home to research in fields like food science, meat science, muscle biology, food safety and nutrition, consumer sensory traits, and developing new agricultural products, according to a news release.
Research
Furniture solutions manufacturer KI recently announced alongside the Center for Advanced Design Research and Evaluation (CADRE) that it will become a founding sponsor for the Coalition for the Advanced Understanding of School Environments (CAUSE). A news release reports that the coalition’s research will focus on the relationship between K–12 physical environments and educational outcomes.
New Construction
Forte Construction Corp. recently announced that it has completed construction on P.S. 487, a new four-story elementary school in the South Bronx, according to a news release. The school is open for the current academic year and will serve more than 500 students in grades PreK–5.
New Construction
Part of a whole-site modernization project at Mira Mesa High School in San Diego, Calif., recently reached a construction milestone. The final steel beam of the new classroom and student services facility was put into place, completing the building’s structural framework.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.