Campus Sustainability
Winona State University in Winona, Minn., announced this week that it is partnering with construction and energy services firm McKinstry for a $12.3-million sustainability and solar energy project.
Campus Funding
A Texas university has received nearly $45 million for capital projects from the state. Midwestern State University will use its allocation to update a science building and do infrastructure upgrades across the campus.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/27/21
Campus Renovations
The 113-year-old building housing the Tulane University School of Architecture will have its façades, structure, stairs and interior spaces restored over the next two years. The work on Richardson Memorial Hall, originally built in 1908, will begin in early spring 2022, with a goal of reopening in fall 2023.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/26/21
New Construction
Kent State University recently approved construction of a new $74 million, 145,000-square-foot building to house its College of Business Administration. It will be named after the individual who has made the largest donation Kent has ever received.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/26/21
Campus Renovation
The task: Transform the outdated, fortress-like 1960s Neuberger Hall (currently named Fariborz Maseeh Hall) on the campus of Portland State University in Portland, Ore., into a modern, interactive, light-filled academic hub.
New Construction
A New Jersey university has just broken ground on the site of a new museum that is intended to explore the ancient natural past of the area while consuming net-zero energy.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/26/21
New Construction
A new elementary school recently opened in Foster City, Calif., as part of the San Mateo-Foster City School District (SMFCSD). Beach Park Elementary School lies in the Silicon Valley area, about halfway between San Jose and San Francisco, Calif.
New Construction
Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) recently announced the completion of a new, 14,524-square-foot replacement field house on the campus of Williams Field High School (WFHS) in Gilbert, Ariz.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.