ÌýBy Maggie Marlin, IIDAÌý

The COVID-19 pandemic forced higher education to answer an uncomfortable question: if the classroom is the only place that matters, why bother with a campus at all?Ìý

Universities responded by completely rethinking what makes physical space valuable. The answerÌýisn’tÌýmoreÌýclassrooms:Ìýit’sÌýeverything around them. Walk into a new college building today and the spaces between classes command as much design attention as the lecture halls. Faculty from different departments share collaborative spaces. Students work alongside industry partners in innovation labs. Libraries have evolved into social infrastructure,ÌýwhereÌýconnection matters as much as collection.ÌýÌý

This shiftÌýisn’tÌýjust about amenities. As technology reshapes how knowledge gets transmitted and artificial intelligence handles more of the rote work of education, education design is doubling down on what can’t be automated: human connection, hands-on collaboration and the kind of creative thinking that only happens when people come together in physical space.Ìý

According toÌýGensler’sÌý,Ìýreleased earlier this year,Ìýeducation is undergoing a fundamental transformationÌýthat’sÌýreshaping not just how students learn, but how entire learning environments are conceived and built. Three major trends are driving this evolution, andÌýthey’reÌýalready visible in projects across the country.Ìý

Learning Without LanesÌý

The first big shift? Learning is no longer linear, and neither is the campus.Ìý

Students todayÌýaren’tÌýjust earning degrees;Ìýthey’reÌýcollecting skills. They might spend mornings in traditional lectures and afternoons in apprenticeship programs with campus industry partners, pause their degree to launch a venture, then return for an executive MBA a decade later. Education has become modular, customizable,Ìýand continuous, which means campus spaces need to evolve into flexible ecosystems that can support everything from micro-credentials to business incubators to lifelong learning hubs.Ìý

Western Kentucky University’sÌýGordon Ford College of Business at Amy and David Chandler HallÌýillustratesÌýthis approach.ÌýThe buildingÌýconsolidatesÌýresources including academic advising, peer tutoring, financial aid guidanceÌýandÌýeven a ‘Suited for Success Closet’ where students can borrow business attire for interviews.ÌýIt’sÌýdesigned to support students wherever they are in their journey, whetherÌýthey’reÌýnavigating their first semesterÌýas aÌýfirst-generationÌýstudentÌýor preparing to pivot careers mid-degree.Ìý

On the first floor,Ìýthe trading labÌýdisplays real-time stock market changes through Bloomberg Technology terminals, giving students access to professional-grade financial analytics typically reserved for working professionals. Sales classroomsÌýinclude set-ups ofÌýreal-world environmentsÌýthatÌýstudentsÌýmightÌýencounterÌýwhen making a sales pitch,ÌýblurringÌýthe line between academic exercise and professional practice. The most forward-thinking element might be the simulation lab, which uses augmented and virtual reality for marketing strategy exploration. The floor is deliberately furniture-free, allowing forÌýfully immersive AR and VR experiences.ÌýIt’sÌýa space designed not for how students learn today, but for howÌýthey’llÌýneed to learn tomorrow, and return toÌýlearnÌýagain years from now.Ìý

Western Kentucky alsoÌýdemonstratesÌýthis principle through strategic design choices: coreÌýobjectivesÌýincluded creatingÌýspaces soÌýstudentsÌýwouldÌýlinger beforeÌýand after scheduled classes, accommodating everything from traditionalÌýundergradsÌýto professionals pursuing executive education, with spaces that stay flexible enough to evolve alongside industry needs.Ìý

What AI Can’t ReplicateÌý

If campusesÌýcan’tÌýcompete with AI on information delivery, they need to own what technologyÌýcan’tÌýtouch: collaboration, community,Ìýand creativity.ÌýLibraries, incubators, makerspaces,Ìýand other campus “third spaces” are being reimagined to prioritize hands-on, project-basedÌýand team-driven work. The social experience of learning becomesÌýaÌýcompetitive advantage.Ìý

This is where projects like Western Kentucky’s Commons at Helm Library come into play. The facility transformed a 1930s building that once housed the university gymnasium into a new intellectual hub at the historic academic heart of campus. The Commons combines social spaces, including food service venues that accommodate 900 guests, with library and student support services.ÌýIt’sÌýdesigned to serve both campus-based and commuter students, creating a destination that pulls people in rather than just providing study carrels.Ìý

The project has earnedÌýnumerousÌýawards, including the IIDA/American Library Association Library Interior Design Award and Best in Show, precisely because it understands that the future library is less about book storage and more about human connection.Ìý

Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business, scheduled for completion in 2027, also usestilizesÌýthis philosophy. The building integrates business, technology,Ìýand engineering classrooms and labs with advising offices, flexible collaboration areas,Ìýand an auditorium for campus-wide conferences and events. Recognizing that the high-traffic site lacked green space, the design team added a courtyard for outdoor breaks and events. At night, the glazed facade will glow with activity,ÌýtelegraphingÌýthe innovative combination of spaces within and framingÌýthe School of Business as a forward–Ìýlooking and vibrant community.Ìý

With a future-forward outlook, the building includes a full prototyping and engineering lab where students can merge technical and business skills in real-world developmePnt scenarios. It offers spaces students might encounter in corporate workplace environments, preparing them not just with knowledge but with the collaborative muscle memory they’ll need in their careers.Ìý

Read more in the Higher Education Issue of 91ÊÓƵ.

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