Funding
School districts throughout the U.S. are on the verge of letting large construction projects with new funding from citizen-supported bond elections. Some school districts already have secured their funding, and others will ask voters to approve bond packages in November and December.
Campus Amenities
Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions recently introduced its Tectum Create! Direct-Attach line of ceiling and wall panels. The textured panels come in a variety of standard and custom designs to add flair and aesthetics to any space.
New Construction
The Texas Legislature recently approved $100 million for the construction of a health sciences building on the campus of Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas.
Campus Renovations
The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., broke ground this week on a project involving renovations to its 85-year-old chemistry building and the new construction of a collaborative learning facility.
Campus Sustainability
Schneider Electric recently announced that it is partnering with the Richland County School District One (Richland One) in Columbia, S.C., to help the district meet its goal of Net Zero energy consumption.
New Construction
HPM announced recently that it has been chosen as the Program Manager for capital and facility-based projects for the Manor Independent School District (Manor ISD) near Austin, Texas.
Campus Amenities
Furniture solutions provider Kimball recently launched a modular workplace platform that adds flexibility to any environment.
A 2013 study from the Department of Homeland Security suggests that only 15% of active assailant events in schools occur outside of the school building. That figure, then, means that 85% of active shooter events in schools occur within the building, once the assailant has made it past external security. In addition to preventing active shooter situations from occurring, it’s just as important to focus on how to manage them and minimize the damage once they’ve already begun.
ASSA ABLOY recently launched a 360° virtual online tour demonstrating access control and security and solutions to help higher education administrators address common challenges.
A 16-year-old student at Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyo., was arrested and led away from her school in handcuffs on Thursday, Oct. 7. Junior Grace Smith said in an interview that she was arrested for trespassing after receiving a suspension for refusing to follow the school’s mask mandate and then refusing to leave school grounds.
A school safety officer in Long Beach, Calif., has been fired following an incident that left an 18-year-old mother brain-dead, and the Long Beach Police Department has opened a homicide investigation.
Healthy Schools
A $1.4 million HVAC upgrade at Missouri's East Central College, paid for by federal COVID-relief funds, is expected to mitigate the transmission of viruses in several campus buildings. The work was performed by Johnson Controls as part of its "OpenBlue" healthy buildings program.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/13/21
Campus Sustainability
Ontario-based Cambrian College is moving into the next phase of a long-term agreement with Honeywell and Honeywell Building Technologies to replace aging equipment and update lighting in pursuit of energy savings. The improvements are expected to save the college at least $480,000 within the first year.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/13/21
Campus Renovations
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) in Davis, Calif., recently debuted a nearly total renovation of the 85-year-old Walker Hall. The two-story, north side of the facility will now serve as the campus’ Graduate Center.
University Renovations
St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, announced a renovation project recently that will transform the 105-year-old LeClaire Hall (the second-oldest building on campus) into the Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design.
Healthy Schools
The North Bend School District in North Bend, Ore., recently announced that it has chosen Alen as its provider of indoor air quality solutions.
Healthy Schools
The Meriwether County School District in Greenville, Ga., announced this week that its school board has voted to install disinfection devices on buses.
New Construction
Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $61.5-million Language Arts and Social Science Building. The college partnered with C.W. Driver Companies on the facility, which measures in at three stories and 107,760 square feet.
Campus Expansion
Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently broke ground on a 44,000-square-foot expansion to its Aeronautics and Engineering Building. The new space will contain amenities like collaborative spaces, teaching and research labs and administrative space.
New Construction
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, Sept. 30, for a new K–12 Multi-Campus facility for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools in Garden City, Ga.
Campus Modernization
Fremont High School, part of the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, Calif., recently debuted a series of new and modernized facilities to faculty, staff and students.
Campus Design
Here’s how one elementary school demolished its nearly 100-year-old building and replaced it with a modern, collaborative learning space.
Campus Amenities
Leviton Lighting, a lighting and wireless control solutions company, recently released a series of announcements regarding new and existing products.
New Construction
The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, recently announced that construction has begun on a new performance venue. The 409-seat theater is scheduled to open its doors to the public by fall 2023.
Higher Ed Facilities
Schneider Electric recently announced that it will continue its partnership with the University of North Texas (UNT) Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas, via a new modernization project that will support sustainable research growth at the university’s health research labs. The $10 million project is the third within the last 10 years between the two organizations.
New Construction
University of Arizona broke ground this week on its new Grand Challenges Research Building, a 115,000-square-foot facility that will house a variety of labs, offices and flexible research spaces.
Sustainability
Commercial flooring manufacturer Mohawk Group has joined the Climate Pledge, an effort launched by Amazon and Global Optimism with the aim of accelerating climate action above and beyond the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.
Campus Renovations
Construction management firm Adolfson & Peterson (AP) and charter school network Candeo Schools announced recently that they have completed an extensive expansion and renovation project on Candeo North Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Ariz.
New Construction
Construction company Kraus-Anderson recently announced the completion of a $30-million elementary school in Pipestone, Minn. The facility is an addition to the district’s existing middle and high school building.
Campus Fundraising
The University of Wisconsin–Madison announced recently that plans are in motion to construct a new building for the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences. The facility is projected to cost about $225 million and will be funded by private donors, according to a university press release.
Campus Sustainability
Design firm Perkins Eastman recently announced the opening of the first two net-zero-energy schools in Washington, D.C. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies for both schools—Banneker Academic High School and West/John Lewis Elementary School—took place in the last week of August.
New Construction
African-American-owned design firm DIGroup recently joined school officials, faculty and students for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of one of the largest projects in the firm’s history.
HVAC
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS), a joint venture between Trane Technologies PLC and Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc., announced recently that it has launched an upgrade for its Building Connect+ platform.
New Construction
Shasta College in Redding, Calif., announced recently that it has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Veterans Support and Success Center.
Campus Renovations
At Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Penn., the Department of Mechanical Engineering recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new ME Knowledge Lab.
Campus Technology
Even as students slowly return to in-person learning, distance learning solutions have altered educational expectations. For many students, remote learning has become a viable option. Even before the pandemic, many would have chosen to study at home if it were a more accessible option.
Campus Renovations
Aquinas College, a private Roman Catholic college in Grand Rapids, Mich., announced this week that it has received its largest single donation ever from an individual, living donor. The $3-million gift from Peter and Carolyn Sturrus of Grand Haven, Mich., comes in support of the college’s new Gold LEED-certified Albertus Magnus Hall of Science.
New Construction
With a celebratory groundbreaking ceremony, construction has officially begun on the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Va. University, government and business leaders gathered on Tuesday, Sept. 14, to mark the first steps of the first academic building of the new campus.
Campus Renovation
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, announced this week that it is planning an $8-million theatre renovation project.
Healthy Schools
A study from earlier this year has revealed that the majority of Americans are aware of the benefits that natural light can have on their physical, mental, and psychological health. However, the same study also showed that nearly half of Americans ages 18 and older spend between 12 and 23 hours a day indoors, while government research suggests that most Americans spend up to 93% of their lives inside.