Calif. School Debuts New $66.5M Academic Building

California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), located in Carson, Calif., recently completed construction on its new, $66.5-million Innovation and Instruction Building. The 107,600-square-foot space was designed to support active learning and encourage collaboration among students and faculty, according to a news release. The building stands four stories and features amenities like a 250-seat auditorium, a 120-seat active learning classroom, two case-study rooms with 60 seats each, meeting rooms and computer labs, faculty and administrative office space, and a café.

The university partnered with builder C.W. Driver Companies and architecture firm HGA Architects & Engineers. C.W. Driver completed a Science and Innovation Building for CSUDH in 2019.

California State University Dominguez Hills Innovation Instruction Building
Photo credit: Chase Magdaleno, Drone Works Media

“We have enjoyed our partnership with CSUDH, lending our years of experience constructing projects for California universities to complete another cutting-edge facility designed to support the evolving needs of higher education,” said project executive Tom Jones with C.W. Driver Companies. “With several active learning classrooms and external collaboration areas, interaction and continuous learning are encouraged among students and educators.”

The facility opened for classes in time for the spring 2022 semester. In addition to the services listed above, it also plays home to the College of Business Administration and Public Policy. The building’s second floor includes a simulated trading room featuring lighted ticker tape information.

“The outstanding design and dynamic quality of the Innovation and Instruction Building are ushering in a new era of campus facilities that matches the caliber of the academics taking place,” said Roshni Thomas, director of facilities planning, design and construction at CSUDH. “The C.W. Driver team was an excellent partner in bringing our vision to life, helping us to navigate this challenging period for construction.”

About the Author

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

Featured

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • Cleveland High School Breaks Ground on Modernization

    Portland Public Schools in Portland, Ore., recently announced that construction has begun on a modernization project for Cleveland High School, according to a news release. The existing building will be replaced with a new, 300,000-square-foot facility at the same site.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Universities Continue to Launch Multimillion-Dollar Campus Transformations

    What makes the current wave of campus development especially noteworthy is its emphasis on multi-use functionality and community integration. Institutions are no longer investing solely in academic or athletic facilities in isolation. Instead, they are creating destinations that blend recreation, health, housing, and event-driven economic activity.