Auburn University Breaks Ground on STEM + Agricultural Sciences Complex

Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., recently announced that construction on a new STEM and Agriculture Sciences Complex has begun, according to a news release. The new facility measures in at 285,000 square feet and will cost an estimated $184 million. The university is partnering with Hoar Construction, construction manager JE Dunn, and designers of record Goodywn Mills Cawood & Lord Aeck Sargent on the project, which has an estimated completion date of summer 2026.

The complex features three buildings connected via pedestrian bridges and a shared basement. Each building will include teaching labs with state-of-the-art technology, research labs, a teaching garden, and communal spaces, the news release reports. It will provide a centralized space for the university’s Departments of Biological Sciences; Geosciences; Mathematics and Statistics; Crop, Soils & Environmental Sciences; and more. Certain spaces will also be equipped to house aquatic animals and insects.

“We are honored to have been chosen to oversee construction of this state-of-the-art development, which is one of the highest dollar-value projects in Auburn’s history,” said Hoar Project Manager Joel Brown. “This complex is set to greatly enhance the learning experience and capabilities for Auburn’s students and will pave the way for our next generation of leaders within science, technology and agriculture. We look forward to working alongside our invaluable project partners to deliver this project on time and without any disruptions to student life.”

The news release reports that once construction is complete, the facility will aim to achieve LEED Silver Status.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.