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Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/19/26

Key Takeaways

  • Stanford University has completed a 160,000-square-foot Graduate School of Education complex, developed in partnership with McCarthy Building Companies and launched in 2023.
  • The project combined historic preservation and modernization, including major renovations to the 1938 Angela Nomellini & Ken Oliver Building and the Barnum Center, alongside construction of the new Patricia & Jeffrey Raikes Building.
  • Key priorities included structural innovation, restoration of historic architectural elements, and collaborative design to create a forward-looking academic space that honors the university’s architectural heritage.

Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort. Construction began in 2023.

The new GSE complex contains three buildings: the renovated Angela Nomellini & Ken Oliver Building (ANKO), the renovated Barnum Center, and the new Patricia & Jeffrey Raikes (Raikes) Building, the news release reports. ANKO, which was originally built in 1938, saw serious structural renovations that involved hollowing out the building’s core while maintaining the wings for historical preservation purposes. The building’s original Spanish tiles, windows, and ceiling elements were removed, restored, and replaced.

Restorations to the Barnum Center will allow it to be used as a classroom and event space; the building features 50 historic windows, as well as flexible space for student collaboration.

Finally, the Raikes Building features classrooms, meeting rooms, open offices, and event space. The fourth floor features a “premier convening space” with indoor and outdoor elements that offer scenic views of the campus and surrounding hillside.

“This project was both a challenge and a privilege,” said Jason Hughes, Vice President of Operations with McCarthy. “Working alongside Stanford and our design and construction partners, we were able to preserve the university’s rich architectural history while creating a forward-looking facility that supports the future of graduate education.”

During the project, key design considerations were historic preservation (especially in ANKO); structural innovation regarding the shoring and hollowing techniques used; and collaborative design, which involved extensive partnership with university stakeholders, according to the news release.

About the Author

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

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