Industry News


COVID-19 and Schools

DFW School District Will Not Offer Remote Learning in 2021-22

The Allen Independent School District in Dallas, Texas, has announced that it will not offer virtual learning opportunities for the 2021-22 academic year. Superintendent Robin Bullock sent a district-wide email on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 4, announcing the district’s plans for the upcoming year.

EXTECH skylight system

Campus Facilities

EXTECH Provides Skylight System to Calif. Middle School

EXTECH/Exterior Technologies, Inc. has provided skylight systems for the new Spring Hill School middle school campus in Sonoma County, Petaluma, Calif. The campus opened its doors to students for the first time for the 2019-20 school year.

UW GU Health Partnership Beam Signing

New Construction

UW and GU Celebrate “Topping Off” of New Health Facility

In Spokane, Wash., the final structural beam was placed in the facility that will become the medical and health education, research and innovation center for the University of Washington School of Medicine–Gonzaga University Health Partnership. The laying of this last piece is a construction milestone known as “topping off,” and representatives of the two schools gathered to celebrate.

Campus Sustainability

Rice U Holistic Garden Sees Sustainability Upgrades

At Rice University in Houston, Texas, the Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden recently received a solar upgrade and other improvements courtesy of the Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.

New Construction

Design Phase Approved for UK College of Medicine Construction

This week, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved the design phase for the construction of a new building for the UK College of Medicine. According to a press release, the facility will include about 380,000 square feet of classrooms, conference rooms, simulation suites, office space, and support space.

Campus Infrastructure

SUNY Cortland to Replace All Lampposts on Campus

The State University of New York College at Cortland (SUNY Cortland) in Cortland, N.Y., is in the process of replacing decades-old outdoor lampposts around campus. Phase I of the three-phase project is scheduled for completion by the end of the summer, and the entire project should be done by fall 2022.

SMARTdesk STEM lab robotics room

Campus Amenities

"American Rescue Plan" for Schools Ignites Opportunity for STEM Learning

As students come back to new and improved classrooms, STEM learning will become paramount in learning experience design. School shutdowns have hit science classes hard and may lead to widening achievement gaps in STEM fields. As institutions of learning reopen, science, computer and innovation labs should be the pillars of infrastructure improvements.

Mohawk Group Data Tide Collection

Campus Amenities

Mohawk Group Debuts Data Tide Carpet Collection

Commercial flooring solutions company Mohawk Group has announced the release of its Data Tide collection, a variety of modular carpet planks with a design evoking the visualization of water.

COVID-19 and Schools

HVAC Flaw Might Have Led to Pa. Elementary School COVID Outbreak

Late last month, eight second-grade students from a single classroom at Penn Valley Elementary School in the Lower Merion School District near Philadelphia, Pa., tested positive for coronavirus. Because of the number of students affected, staff conducted an investigation and discovered a potential cause for the spread.

Technology

Trox, Tierney Announce Merger

Education technology solutions providers Trox and Tierney announced recently that the two companies will merge to form Trox + Tierney. Combined, the two organizations bring 80+ years of experience and more than 750 skilled employees to the market.

Campus Renovations

Construction at Texas University Causes Small Fire

Renovations to the Moody Coliseum on the campus of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas, resulted in a small fire on Tuesday night. The Abilene Fire Department responded to the call at about 10:30 p.m. and extinguished the flames without incident.

Campus Housing

Vanderbilt to Build Housing for Graduate, Professional Students

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., will begin construction this week on a housing development for graduate and professional students. Construction was originally slated to begin in summer 2020 but was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campus Construction

Fairfield Demolishes Alumni Hall to Prep for New Construction

One of the oldest buildings on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., was demolished to make room for a new construction project in progress. Alumni Hall, a sports arena that played home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams and also served as a concert venue, came down in preparation for a new Arena and Convention Center.

Industry News

Akalkotkar Joins VLK as Principal

Gopinath “Gopi” Akalkotkar has joined VLK Architects as its new principal. VLK offers architecture, planning and interior design services to K-12 and higher education institutions (and other sectors) in Texas. According to VLK, “Akalkotkar will be responsible for leading VLK’s efforts in San Antonio and the South Texas market.”

New Construction

Kroger Donates $3M to University of Louisville Indoor Baseball Facility

The Kroger Louisville Division announced this week that it is donating $3 million toward the construction of an indoor baseball practice facility at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky.

Susquehanna University solar array sheep

Campus Sustainability

Sheep Help Maintain Solar Array at Pa. University

Susquehanna University’s solar array was built in 2018, just outside the city of Selinsgrove, Pa. And from April through November of each year, the university enlists help from an unconventional source to help keep the 14-acre site maintained.

Campus Modernization

WMU Prepares Three Dorms for Demolition

Western Michigan University, located in Kalamazoo, Mich., is readying its campus for a major construction initiative. According to a recent news release, contractors are preparing three small dorms for demolition while taking care to preserve and protect some natural historic features on the grounds.

Energy Harness Active Airflow

COVID-19 and Schools

Energy Harness Releases Ceiling-Mounted UV-C Light Fixture

LED manufacturing and distribution solutions provider Energy Harness recently released a new product to help schools combat COVID-19.

Campus Renovations

High-School Construction to Finish Early, Under Budget Due to COVID

Construction work on Hendersonville High School, located in Hendersonville, N.C., is set for completion in August 2022—11 months ahead of schedule. The project will also come in about half a million dollars under its $59.1-million budget.

New Construction

Lake County Schools Prepare for $65M in New Facilities

The five-year capital improvement plan for Lake County Schools, located in Tavares, Fla., includes $65 million in new and expanded schools, as well as $106.7 million in school renovation and modernization work. The plan covers planned projects between 2021 and 2025.

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