Huntsville Business Journal’s Post

Daniel Elsea on campus planning: "Maybe it’s time to retire the campus plan as we have known it. In its place should be a more outward-looking type of plan where the often much more significant and complex issues pertaining to the university’s context are given just as much importance as to what has carefully been planned within." https://lnkd.in/ewSCPW4x

Texas A&M-Fort Worth's new campus is rising, with a twist: its $260M Research and Innovation center is jointly funded by the university, city, and local businesses. Unlike typical expansions, it's tailored to industry needs based on input from 50+ companies. This collaborative approach could redefine how universities grow, creating campuses that directly serve their communities. Read the full story here 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eKJ5ru5Y 

Great to see that this was resolved with the correct solution. The plan to move to UB during City's renovation was a no brainer that should never have been in doubt. It is disconcerting that some members of BCPS's school board threatened to stop this innovative solution. In it's 185-year history, City has served students from every corner of the city. BCPS proposed a swing space school at 5001 Sinclair Lane - as far east as you can go in the city without being in eastern Baltimore County. Getting there would have been difficult even for students with access to cars or parents who drive them to school. For the majority of students - who rely on MTA buses to get to school - the commuting times would have been unsustainable. For students coming from northwest, west, southwest, and south Baltimore the commute times would have been so difficult that they would have forced students to choose other high schools. Hundreds of academically talented Baltimore children - many from disadvantaged backgrounds - would have been denied access to a premier college prep high school and its renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. BCPS's proposed swing school required $24 million dollars of upgrades to accommodate high school students; upgrades that would have little usefulness once City's renovation was complete. Thus, those improvements would have been an inefficient use of school construction funds and not at all in keeping with sustainable building practices. Such a relief that the sensible choice was made. CITY Forever!

In the competitive higher education landscape, Kendall Jones of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University crafts strategies to allure students with contemporary spaces and continuous campus improvements. FROM THE STORY: Modern post-secondary school students have many options when deciding where to attend college. Sure, some universities with specific programs are rated higher than the average institution, but that many choices mean colleges and universities need to do more to attract new students and maintain or increase enrollment. That gives Kendall Jones many options regarding his role as associate vice president of facilities, planning, construction and safety at Florida A&M University. “Students today are totally different than when my career started many decades ago,” Jones says. “They want more than just a place to live. They want spaces that inspire creativity and social interaction.” FAMU, a historically black university that first opened to students in Tallahassee in 1887—and the only public HBCU in Florida—recently received approval from the Florida Board of Governors to add to its on-campus housing. Jones says the new 700-bed residence hall will help attract new students when it opens in the fall of 2025. https://lnkd.in/ejVMZUTj

When a college closes, administrators must ask themselves what to do with acres of idyllic stretches of green space, ready-to-use facilities, and historic architecture that will soon have no occupants. Experts say there are several challenges. First, residents of the college’s surrounding community often push back against closure. Having anything other than a college campus in their town is less desirable, one expert said. Second, the formal processes institutions must undergo when closing is lengthy — and costly. Colleges often get bogged down by the legal system. Finally, finding a buyer who will pay full value for a soon-to-be empty campus is difficult. Choose an unsuitable buyer in a rush, and there could be serious consequences for the community, an expert warned. But sometimes, a campus closure can open another door for the community. Learn how here:

What does it take to build world-class campuses? Find out in this conversation with #UBC’s chief planners, who discuss the fascinating changes coming to the #Vancouver and #Okanagan campuses.

#NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek continues! Knowing that 20% of students, faculty and staff are neurodivergent - a shift is needed toward a more inclusive culture in all campus settings. From classrooms and labs, sports and fitness spaces, to libraries, student common areas and cafeterias – designing spaces that address all physical and mental needs is critical. Access to natural light and the inclusion of biophilic elements were central to the renovation of St. Charles Community College's Life Science Building. The transformation gave them the teaching environment they needed to foster student success. Learn more about our higher education design portfolio: https://loom.ly/G0Qxnd4 #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek #NeurodiversityAwareness #NeurodiversityWeek #NeurodiversityMatters #ClassroomDesign #InclusiveEnvironments #SensorySupport #Neurodiverse #LearningDifferences #FGMA #WeBuildCommunity

Spiezle collaborated with Daytona State College to create a comprehensive and dynamic campus master plan for five campuses, including the main Daytona Beach campus along with of 4 of their regional campuses. The process was immersive and inclusive, drawing upon Spiezle’s planning and leadership capabilities and focusing on the unique capabilities and opportunities of the College. Through careful evaluation of enrollment trends, demographic shifts, workforce needs and community support structures, we worked in conjunction with the College Board, stakeholders, facilities teams, student groups and other interested parties over a nine-month period to create the final product. It represents a balance between adaptive re-use of existing inventory and infrastructure along with sensible and appropriate new construction to support the projected growth and continued success of the College. The final document captures the potential for growth and development strategies for Daytona State and is organized into 5-, 10- , and 20-year projections for each of the campuses. The proof of the plan being actionable can be seen in the College recently advancing several of the projects that were studied and planned as part of the process. Spiezle is excited to continue to team with the College on two current important initiatives: a Welding Lab and a Tactical Training Center. Click to read more about this project. https://lnkd.in/gdMvUiSm #daytonastatecollege #masterplanning #highered #spiezle #architecture

Community colleges play a vital role in promoting educational equity and opportunity, but they face challenges like declining enrollment and low transfer rates. Architects like HMC’s Eric Skiba are exploring innovative design solutions to create inclusive, supportive environments for student success. Check out Erik's article on Spaces4Learning, "Revolutionizing Community College Success" where he explores how architects can help address these pressing challenges. #hmcarchitects #designforgood https://lnkd.in/gafR4iQj

See the latest article from Government Market News about the infrastructure expansion at the University of Michigan, which will include a 150-room hotel and conference center on campus. #UniversityDevelopment #CampusExpansion #RealEstateDevelopment #StudentHousing #InnovationInEducation #InfrastructureDevelopment #FutureOfEducation #CommunityEngagement #EducationInvestment #UniversityPlanning #CollaborativeDevelopment Read more on GovMarketNews.com!