Kent State Board Approves College of Aeronautics and Engineering Building Addition

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/29/21

During its quarterly meeting last week, the Kent State University Board of Trustees approved an addition to the university’s Aeronautics and Engineering Building. The College of Aeronautics and Engineering opened in spring 2015, and since then, enrollment has grown enough to require additional space for faculty research and student classes and labs.

According to a press release, the building’s three-story addition will measure in at 41,449 gross square feet and feature classrooms, instructional and research laboratories, active teaching classrooms, cyber classrooms, networking labs, and faculty offices.

Kent State College of Aeronautics and Engineering addition

Design and construction documents are scheduled for completion by August. After bidding and contract negotiations, groundbreaking should take place in October 2021 for a 14-month construction process. The new facility would open to faculty and students in time for the spring 2023 semester.

The project’s estimated price tag is $19.6 million. Of this, $14.1 million is slated to come from 2020 bond proceeds, $4 million from local funds, and $1.5 million from philanthropic gifts to the university.

A press release states that enrollment in Kent State University’s College of Aeronautics and Engineering has increased by 52 percent since 2019 and by 7 percent since 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic. A gap between the available workforce and industry needs sets up a wide variety of opportunities for new graduates.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Boosting Student Wellness and Safety Through Indoor-Outdoor School Spaces

    Engaging students through facilities designed for indoor and outdoor learning and activities reflects a growing awareness of how children learn and thrive, with educators recognizing the importance of getting outside and disconnecting from technology. And, as today’s youth grapple with the urgent mental health crisis of increased anxiety and loneliness fueled by both the pandemic and technology, along with a related crisis in youth physical health, the wellness benefits of getting outside have never been so palpable.

  • Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Active Learning Classroom

    Striking a Balance: The Keys to Renovating Science Education Buildings for the 21st Century

    The recent renovation of the Durham Science Center at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) provides a roadmap for facilities managers tasked with balancing budget constraints, modern pedagogical demands, and long-term sustainability.

Digital Edition