By Lindsey Coulter

The 91��Ƶ Design + Construction Symposium brought education leaders, architects, designers, contractors, developers and facilities professionals together Aug. 5 at Denver’s historic Tivoli Turnhalle to examine how evolving needs are reshaping the design and delivery of K-12 and higher education environments.��

Held on the Auraria Campus, the event focused on project-driven discussions around student belonging, school safety, community engagement, mass timber, urban��development��and the increasingly compressed construction schedules facing school districts. The symposium was designed to move beyond broad industry trends and examine real projects and lessons that can be applied to future work.��

Designing for Belonging��

The program opened with a keynote from Dr. Drew Coleman, Chief of Schools for Jeffco Public Schools, who challenged attendees to consider the relationship between school environments, student��experience��and educational outcomes.��

Coleman’s presentation, “Building Belonging: Designing Schools Where Students Feel Safe Enough to Learn and Prepared Enough to Lead,” examined how the physical environment can either support or hinder student success. His perspective connected education leadership, school��culture��and the built environment, reinforcing the symposium’s emphasis on designing schools around the needs of the people who use them.��

The keynote was followed by a district-level perspective from Micah Ali, president of Compton Unified School District. Ali discussed the development of Compton High School and the importance of trust,��continuity��and community partnerships in delivering major educational facilities projects.��

Born and raised in Compton, Ali played a foundational role in the development of��the high��school and has extensive experience in land use, development and partnerships aimed at expanding opportunities for students.��He also is helping guide the district’s upcoming Centennial and Dominguez Hills High School projects.����

The discussion illustrated a broader theme that ran throughout the symposium: successful school construction is not simply about delivering a building, but about creating facilities that reflect community priorities and support long-term educational goals.��

Beyond Safety and Security��

The morning continued with a design panel examining how safety, security,��belonging��and well-being can coexist in school environments.��

Panelists��Erika Ashauer, Human Experience Research Lead for HCM’s PK-12 Studio; Joel Williams, Studio Director at QKA; Guy Grace, vice chair of the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools; and Pat Tackney, Security & Architectural Sales Consultant for McGrory Glass Systems,��expanded the traditional definition of school safety beyond access control and security hardware. Panelists considered how visibility, privacy, supervision,��comfort��and a sense of belonging can influence the experience of students and staff.��

The discussion reflected a broader shift in school design toward environments that address both physical safety and the emotional and social conditions that help students learn.��

Summit House Provides a Case Study in Innovation��

After a networking break, the symposium shifted from K-12 schools to higher education and student��housing��with a case study��on��Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Summit House.��

Presented by��Martha Nelson, Director of Planning, Design and Construction for MSU Denver; Ben Diaz, Senior Development Manager for Columbia Ventures; Macy Huffaker, Project Architect with SAR+ Architects; Ryan Marshall – Superintendent at PCL Construction,��the��session, moderated by Leone Dick, Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Administration at MSU Denver,��explored the planning,��design��and delivery of MSU Denver’s first residence hall.��

Summit House��represents��a significant milestone for the university and for Colorado construction. The 12-story student residence is being delivered using mass timber and is positioned to become the tallest mass-timber structure in the state. The project also incorporates an urban construction environment and a public-private delivery model. (91��Ƶ)��

Rather than focusing on mass timber as a standalone innovation, the presentation examined the combination of decisions and partnerships��required��to make the project possible. Those included material��selection, planning,��logistics,��development��and construction delivery.��

The case study also gave attendees a closer look at the increasingly complex role of construction teams working in dense urban environments and managing innovative structural systems.��

Racing the Summer Construction Clock��

The symposium concluded its formal program with a panel focused on one of the most persistent challenges in K-12 construction: delivering projects within the limited summer construction window.��

Moderated by Chuck Amos, CEO of��SchoolBondFinder, the panel featured David J. Henderson,��Deputy��Chief of��Operations for Cherry Creek School District, and Justin Sinnott,��Vice��President of��Corporate��Operations at Erickson-Hall.��

Dubbed “The Summer Sprint,” the discussion��addressed��planning, coordination, risk��management��and project delivery during the period when schools are vacant but must be ready for students when the new academic year begins.��

Henderson brought more than 25 years of K-12 construction and��facilities��leadership to the discussion, including oversight of approximately��2 million square feet��of capital improvement,��construction��and renovation projects across Colorado school districts.��Sinnott contributed experience in project planning, execution, risk management and operational efficiency.��

The panel underscored how compressed schedules are placing greater emphasis on early planning,��coordination��and delivery strategies that can reduce risk while��maintaining��quality.��

The topic also reflected broader pressures facing districts nationwide. 91��Ƶ recently examined the “Summer Sprint” as an increasingly demanding period in which districts must complete everything from HVAC replacements and classroom renovations to larger capital projects before students return.��

From Conversation to Job Site��

Attendees also��had the opportunity to take the��morning’s��discussion into the field with an exclusive tour of MSU Denver’s Summit House.��

The tour provided a firsthand look at the mass-timber residence hall and connected the project’s planning and delivery discussion with its physical construction. According to 91��Ƶ, the project��represents��the intersection of student housing demand, urban development, innovative��materials��and alternative approaches to project delivery.��

Across its sessions, the symposium emphasized a common challenge facing both K-12 and higher education: making increasingly complex capital investments serve long-term institutional and community goals.��

From Coleman’s examination of belonging to Ali’s discussion of community trust, the design panel’s exploration of safety and well-being, Summit House’s innovative delivery and the final panel’s focus on compressed construction schedules, the event demonstrated that the future of educational construction will require collaboration across disciplines.��

Rather than treating design, construction, operations and educational outcomes as separate considerations, the symposium brought those perspectives together around a shared question:��How can the industry create schools and campuses that are not only built successfully, but equipped to serve the people and communities who depend on them?��

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By Sarah Clow

91��Ƶ attended on June 2 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles, the organization’s first conference dedicated entirely to K-12. The event brought together school district leaders, architects, contractors and investors to address the funding, design and delivery challenges reshaping school campuses across the region.

From Bond to Building: Funding, Procurement and Delivering K-12 Projects in a High-Cost Environment

Financing K-12 construction in California is complex. Bond dollars are tightly earmarked, and districts are responsible for keeping both the community and industry informed on how those funds are being used. Regulatory hurdles, namely with the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and the Department of Finance for state-funded projects, continue to slow timelines, and panelists stressed that planning needs to start earlier to absorb those delays.

Alternative delivery methods like design-build offer real opportunity in K-12, but early collaboration between project teams is essential. The strategies that impact goals, timelines and funding need to be established from the outset.

As for what’s getting built, modernization is the dominant story. From Long Beach to Santa Monica, existing school facilities are approaching 70 years old. Seismic upgrades, sustainable renovations, Universal TK facilities, and investments in gyms, arts and experiential learning spaces are driving the current project pipeline. Building on active campuses remains one of the industry’s most persistent challenges. Panelists described it as “fixing the plane while flying,” with early phasing plans and community engagement strategies being critical to keeping projects on track.

Speakers in this session included Carey Upton, Chief Operations Officer at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District; Kate Hirsh, Co-Head and Managing Director of Healthcare + Education at Turner Impact Capital; Tracy Nishihira, Executive Director of Facilities Development & Planning at Long Beach Unified School District; Brooke Murray, Director of Facilities Planning & Operations at Ontario-Montclair School District; and Dave Amudson, Project Executive at C.W. Driver Companies.

The Future of Southern California K-12 Learning Environments: Safety, Flexibility, Technology and Student Experience

Declining enrollment is reshaping how districts think about their facilities — and panelists argued that it needs to reshape how they think about their communities. Schools serve more than current students, and long-term planning needs to reflect that.

On technology, the message was practical: build for flexibility now, and design spaces that can accommodate upgrades without full retrofits down the line. Educators also need proper training to make technology investments worthwhile. Inclusive design was another priority, with several Southern California districts committed to integrating special education facilities into every school so families can keep children enrolled at their neighborhood campus.

Safety generated the day’s most candid conversation. The ideal of open, community-welcoming campuses is in direct tension with today’s security requirements. Fencing, controlled access and fortified perimeters are becoming standard. The design challenge is making those elements feel considered rather than institutional. Panelists favored modern security detection technology over traditional metal detectors and emphasized that transparency and sightlines remain important tools for creating environments where students feel secure.

Underlying all of it was a call for deeper community engagement. The best school facilities are designed for the people they serve, and that requires understanding what matters to each community from the very start.

Speakers in this session included Alix Walsh O’Brien, FAIA, Deputy Chief Facilities Executive at Los Angeles Unified School District; Kelvin Okino, Executive Director of Facilities and Construction at Irvine Unified School District; Anney Hall, Principal at Lionakis; and Jerry Lam, Principal at Lam + Tea Engineering.

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By Sarah Clow

As student housing is a growing part of the higher education design and construction conversation,��91��Ƶ attended the Bisnow San Diego Student Housing & Higher Education Conference on May 13. The event brought together developers, university administrators, architects, and construction leaders, with a focus on balancing growth with affordability and changing��needs and��expecations��regarding��student experience. Across the board,��panelists��agreed that��institutions are rethinking��the traditional student housing model, and for many students next-generation housing options are��non-negotiable.��

Building For All — Balancing Housing Growth with Affordability��

There is a growing��student housing crisis in San Diego, where most universities can only guarantee housing for first- and second-year students. Panelists��were��candid about the structural barriers to building more attainable housing — and financing topped the list. When asked to��identify��the biggest hurdle — financing, land,��or approvals —��nearly every��panelist��pointed to��financing but also pointed��to strategies��for bringing costs down. Chief among them: increasing density.����

Adding more beds to existing builds helps spread construction costs across more units, improving the economics of a project without sacrificing quality. Delivery methods also came up as a key lever, with progressive design-build highlighted as an effective tool for faster, more cost-efficient delivery.��

Panelists��noted a��distinct��shift in how institutions are thinking about the relationship between unit size and community space. Square footage per student is shrinking, while investment in recreation and amenity spaces is growing — a deliberate strategy to push students toward shared community while also keeping per-bed costs down. When asked��about must-have��amenities for higher education projects, panelists pointed to outdoor programmatic space and collaborative, community-focused interiors as essential.��

Speakers included:��Hemlata Jhaveri, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor at UC San Diego; Bob Schulz, University Architect and Associate VP of Real Estate at SDSU; Abbie Hawkins, VP of Development at The Michaels Organization; Lindsey Sielaff, Operations Manager at Hensel Phelps; Richard King, Principal at Gensler; and Lisa Norombaba, Executive Director of Wesley House.��

Panel 2: From Dorms to Destination — Redefining the Student Living Experience

Today’s students��value��quality over quantity, and the��student housing��industry is responding.��

The ongoing��shift toward wellness-focused design��is��bringing spas, fitness centers, relaxation spaces, and mental health-supportive environments��into student housing. Interestingly,��these offerings��are no longer��considered��amenities —��they’re��expectations. Panelists noted that younger students are willing to trade square footage for higher-quality finishes and thoughtful design, a trend that is reshaping unit mix strategies toward smaller one- and two-bedroom configurations.��

Landscape and outdoor space took center stage, particularly in the Southern California context. Panelists from McCullough Landscape Architecture emphasized the growing importance of connection to nature, flexible outdoor��programming��and visibility — both for community building and for safety. Transparency and sightlines in outdoor spaces were called out as important design tools for creating environments where students feel secure.��

However, the panel pushed back on trend-chasing in amenity design. For example,��rather than��including a��golf simulator��—��a shiny��amenity that��doesn’t��hold long-term value��—��panelists��emphasized��creating genuine “third spaces” for socialization: areas that��aren’t��over-programmed, allowing students to use them organically.��

Walkability and bike-ability also��emerged��as a priority, with several panelists��advocating for��pedestrian-focused campus design as a means of supporting both student health and affordability by reducing transportation costs.��

The panel also highlighted an interesting tension in the market: while many developers are moving toward smaller bed counts and higher-end amenities to attract students willing to pay a premium, San Diego Community College District is taking a different approach — building higher-density housing with fewer amenities to maximize access for lower-income students. Both strategies reflect the breadth of need in the market.��

On the technology and security front, panelists pointed to smart package and food delivery lockers as an increasingly expected feature — a practical response to the realities of how students live today.��

Finally, the Southern California advantage was hard to ignore. The indoor-outdoor lifestyle is a genuine differentiator in design, and solar energy adoption is accelerating. Core Spaces highlighted a project near UCSD where rooftop and parking structure solar arrays are expected to cover��the majority of��the building’s energy costs — a compelling case for sustainability as both a��values��play and a financial one.��

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