New Campus Master Plan Unveiled at Drury University

Drury UniversityA new campus plan by Cooper Robertson has been unveiled for Drury University, the liberal arts school based in Springfield, MO.

According to Drury University, the new campus master plan "will guide the school’s physical evolution for decades to come, and build on the success of recent growth in enrollment, academic programming, and alumni engagement.” The new campus plan is part of Drury’s strategic moves "to address the needs of today’s students in a rapidly changing world, and to set itself apart in the competitive landscape of American higher education.”

In 2017, Drury chose the award-winning global architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson to develop its master plan based on the firm’s extensive experience with such schools as Ohio State, the University of North Carolina, Yale, Georgetown, and Duke University. In the Midwest, Cooper Robertson is also currently redesigning the Gateway Arch Museum and Visitor Center in St. Louis.

Led by Drury University’s second-year president, Dr. Tim Cloyd, the master plan was crafted with extensive input from the Drury and Springfield communities, starting with a week-long charrette in April and continuing throughout 2017. “Drury’s new master plan provides an essential, visionary framework to anticipate and accommodate our campus needs over the next 25 to 30 years,” says Cloyd. "It is inspired by Drury’s rich legacy, but designed to carry our mission forward deep into the 21st century.”

Says John Kirk, AIA, a partner and principal architect with Cooper Robertson, “A good master plan envisions a fabric of buildings, open space and landscape that are knitted together in a cohesive, legible, attractive—and memorable—way. Drury’s master plan is ambitious but fully achievable, and I have great confidence in the ability of the leadership and community to make it happen.”

Featured

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • NWEA Report Recommends K–12 Natural Disaster Recovery Strategies

    The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a K–12 assessment and research organization, recently announced the release of a new playbook for schools and communities recovering from extreme weather events, according to a news release.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.