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.
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.
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.
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.
New Construction
Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Ark., recently began construction on a new student union facility, according to a news release. Ferguson Student Union will measure in at 68,000 square feet and marks one of the largest construction projects in the university’s history.
New Construction
Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently broke ground on a new performance center that will play home to the American Repertory Theater, according to a news release. The university is partnering with architect and design lead Haworth Tompkins, architect of record ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, and construction manager Shawmut Design and Construction for the David E. and Stacy L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance.
New Construction
Audiovisual solutions company PureTek Group recently partnered with Plainfield Public Schools in Plainfield, N.J., to create three new educational spaces for the district, according to a news release. The project involves upgrading the existing Plainfield High School auditorium into a performing arts center, a mini-theater into a blackbox theater, and two adjacent unused classrooms into an Esports Arena.
Campus Technology
Ed-tech solutions company Boxlight recently announced the debut of FrontRow UNITY and FrontRow UNITY Campus at ISTELive 2024 in Denver, Colo., according to a news release. The product unifies solutions for institutional technology, campus communication, classroom audio, and emergency notification and response into a single device.
New Construction
DIGroup Architecture recently announced the completion of its first education project in New York City, according to a news release. P.S. 748, The Albee Square Campus, will take up six floors of a new 34-story office tower in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is part of a larger city plan to add the capacity for 45,000 new students as part of the New York City School Construction Authority’s 2020–24 Capital Plan.
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?
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.