Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Loyola University Maryland Opens New Academic Building

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/08/21

Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, Md., recently celebrated the opening of its newest academic building, the Miguel B. Fernandez Family Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning. A news release called the project the university’s largest academic renovation in the last decade. The 35,000 square feet of new construction combine with renovations to the adjacent Beatty Hall, as well as outdoor plaza space, to create a state-of-the-art entrance to both the university’s Quad and the university as a whole.

"The opening of the Fernandez Center for Innovation and Collaboration marks a new chapter in Loyola University Maryland’s nearly 170-year history as we transform our Academic Quadrangle into a contemporary hub for the Evergreen campus," said Amanda M. Thomas, Ph.D., interim president of Loyola. "The launch of the new Fernandez Center strengthens Loyola’s active engagement in a movement to focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, and design thinking."

Officials began brainstorming the project four years ago, and ground for the new facility was broken in February 2020. The building’s architecture was carefully crafted to match and complement that of Beatty Hall, one of the university’s historic buildings.

Features and amenities of the new Fernandez Center include active learning classrooms, the Forbes Idea Lab, a career center, an academic loft for collaborative work, a graduate commons area, faculty offices and workspace, a café, and outdoor spaces. Environmental initiatives include efficient, LED lighting; a new air purification system including UV lights for airflow disinfection; stormwater management; and water conservation. The university said it anticipates the building to receive LEED gold certification.

"The enduring Jesuit tradition of adaptability positions Loyola University Maryland to provide a ‘future-proof’ education that strengthens the bonds of the liberal arts with innovation and entrepreneurship," said Terrence Sawyer, senior vice president at Loyola. "Thanks to the generous support of donors and the State of Maryland that made the new Fernandez Center for Innovation and Collaboration possible, students graduating from Loyola will be more marketable to prospective employers and will go on to apply the world-class education they receive to create a better world."

The project’s design team includes Shepley Bulfinch, architecture and interior design; Muller Associates, mechanical, electrical and plumbing; Hord Coplan Macht, landscape architect; and Whiting-Turner, construction and management.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • 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.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.