Princeton Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

Last month, officials at Princeton University gathered to break ground on the Lake Campus Development in West Windsor, N.J. The project is the university’s first major campus expansion in the city, though a press release states that it will be constructed on land that the university has owned for over a hundred years.

Once complete, the development will contain amenities like graduate housing for more than 600 students; a parking garage with the capacity for 600 vehicles; a new racquet center; a softball stadium; rugby and recreation fields; a cross-country course; and a central utility building called the “TIGER-CUB,” or “thermally-integrated geo-exchange resource central utility building,” to help heat and cool structures. The university is partnering with architecture firm SOM and construction manager P. Agnes.

“We have appreciated the support of stakeholders and partners at the local, county and state level as we developed plans for this first phase of Lake Campus,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “We are especially appreciative of the warm welcome that we have received from officials in West Windsor.”

The work is scheduled to be done in two phases. The first phase will lie the new development’s infrastructure, including roads and underground utilities, as well as the graduate housing and parking amenities. This phase is expected to be complete in 2023. The athletics facilities currently have an estimated completion date of 2025.

Eisgruber also commented that the Lake Campus Development will also open up potential space for new scientific facilities. “We look forward to continued engagement in future phases as we refine our vision for additional facilities that will advance the University’s mission and enhance our ability to make an impact on the world,” he said.

The project is designed to help Princeton University meet its sustainability goals like stormwater management using green infrastructure and aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2046.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • 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.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.