Auburn University Starts Construction on College of Education Building

Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., recently announced that construction has begun on a new facility for the College of Education, a university news release reports. The new building will cost an estimated $77 million and has an estimated completion date of spring 2025.

The 167,000-square-foot facility was designed with modern teaching methods and practices in mind and was deliberately created to serve as a student-centered facility. It will feature amenities like collaborative classrooms, instruction labs, upgraded technology, and administrative space for staff and faculty.

“The new facility will enable the college to consolidate its departments into one building that is located at a prominent campus location,” said Simon Yendle, the university’s assistant vice president for Planning, Design, and Construction at Facilities Management. “It will feature large, bright classrooms and lecture halls like those in the Mell Classroom Building and the Academic Classroom and Laboratory Complex.”

The building was designed with energy efficiency and environmental consciousness in mind, with the aim of achieving a LEED silver certification.

“Our new building will be a hub of activity to bring students together and give them easy access to their classrooms and laboratories,” said Auburn College of Education Dean Jeffrey T. Fairbrother. “It will also provide a one-stop location for support services such as advising and those provided by our Learning Resources Center. Ultimately, our new facility will promote student collaboration in study and meeting spaces and, importantly, facilitate interaction with our faculty and staff. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to better serve our students.”

The university partnered with Architect of Record Stacy Norman Architects LLC and Design Architect SmithGroup, Inc., on the project, according to the university website.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

  • Construction Begins on New University Research Vessel

    Boat-building company All American Marine recently announced that it has begun construction on a new catamaran research vessel for the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) in Port Aransas, Texas, according to a news release.

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.