OXFORD, England — The University of Oxford completed a roughly $120 million (£80 million) renovation of its library in March. The new Weston Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries system, was designed to serve as a space for old books while also bringing the historic facility into the digital age.
ASHLAND, Ore. — Southern Oregon University (SOU) continues to improve and expand, with more than $130 million in capital improvements scheduled or completed since 2010.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Plans for an 800-bed residence hall approved by the University of Iowa Board of Regents in September 2014 were updated in February, increasing the building’s capacity to house more than 1,000 students. When completed, the 12-story, 303,000-square-foot building will be the largest student residence facility on campus.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A $500 million construction project for Yale University’s two new residential colleges is now underway, expanding the New Haven school’s footprint northward. The project is the among the largest construction endeavors in Connecticut’s history.
AUSTIN, Texas — The new Sally and Mack Brown Rise School in Austin was recently awarded an Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) 4-Star rating. The AEGB rates projects on a 1- to 5-star scale, with five stars being the highest rating, and honors exceptional accomplishments in sustainable building and design.
NEW YORK — Henry Mancini Arts Education (HMAE) has announced plans to bring performing arts curriculum and instruction to middle and high school students digitally. HMAE, a web-based organization founded by Midland, Pa.-based Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center (LPPAC) and partners, will offer an estimated 3,000 online lessons in dance, music, theater, visual arts and cross-disciplinary studies to students via tablets, smart phones, laptops and computers. The lessons will be available to students in traditional schools, as well as home school and virtual school learners.
Today, higher-education design is changing, as schools juggle budget cuts with the ever-growing needs of 21st century learners. Learning occurs everywhere now, which is why architects have started designing both formal and informal learning spaces to include the collaborative, high-tech learning spaces that students require — both inside and outside of the classroom. Architects have started designing learning environments that allow millennials to blend their work life with their private life, preparing them for a future in today’s workforce.
SALISBURY, N.C. — Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. is embarking on a landmark solar energy project. When completed, the school’s new photovoltaic installation will be the largest solar energy project in the southeastern U.S., contributing to Catawba’s Green Step Initiative, which aims to achieve campus-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. Work on the project officially began in January and will be fully implemented later this spring.
CHICAGO — Locally based Reed Construction has completed Phase II of a new simulation lab at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The lab finally gives students and medical providers the technology and space they need for critical training, expanding the lab’s square footage from a cramped 1,800-square-foot room to a 15,000-square-foot center.
BEND, Ore. — Oregon State University-Cascades (OSU-Cascade) in Bend, Ore. recently received a $500,000 lead gift from Lee and Connie Kearney to support energy conservation efforts. The donation will position the university’s expanding campus to move toward net-zero energy use.
