Campus Safety
Vector Solutions, a training and software solutions provider, recently announced the launch of an incident management system for K–12 schools designed to help districts keep track of health and safety incidents, hazards and trends.
Campus Safety
Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently launched a Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Systems graduate certificate program.
The widespread use of hand sanitizing stations requires educational institutions to keep a bulk supply of hand sanitizing fluid on hand. And finding a location on campus to keep gallons of hand sanitizing fluid has proved to be a logistical challenge from a fire and life safety inspections perspective.
Campus Safety
School infrastructure has faced significant challenges over the past few years. As administrators look forward, they are faced with the difficult challenge of ensuring their building infrastructure encompasses both short-term safety and long-term priorities while instilling public confidence.
Campus Renovations
Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y., recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new-and-improved UNITI Cultural Center.
Campus Amenities
Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., announced recently that it will install Smart Windows by View, Inc., at its new Martire Family Arena, currently under construction. Designers wanted to include natural light as part of the rink’s design but were worried that the associated heat would melt the ice.
Facility Focus
College science labs are evolving as teaching and learning methods change. This adaptation includes increasing flexibility and the inclusion of both horizontal and vertical learning surfaces. Although student lab workstations are a critical component of any teaching lab, there are other factors that are just as important. O’Connell Robertson recently put these design criteria into practice while working on the new Alamo Colleges District San Antonio College (SAC) Science Lab Building.
Education News
FGM Architects (FGMA) in Austin, Texas, recently announced that Design Principal Rebecca Richter, AIA, ALEP, LEED AP, RID has been selected as the 2021-2022 President of the A4LE (Association for Learning Environments), Central Texas Chapter.
EDSpaces 2021
I spent last week in Pittsburgh, Penn., for the 2021 EDSpaces conference, put on by the Education Market Association. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 event into the virtual space, the 2021 event marked the return of the in-person gathering—in style.
EDSpaces 2021
EDspaces 2021 is fast approaching! This year’s conference is scheduled from Wednesday, Nov. 3, to Friday, Nov. 5, in Pittsburgh, Penn. After the 2020 event shifted to a digital format during the pandemic, this year’s gathering marks the return to an in-person celebration of the educational facilities market.
New Construction
The Magnolia Speech School in Jackson, Miss., held a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, Oct. 22, for a new facility. According to a press release, the 30,000-square-foot facility will be designed to accommodate the needs of children with hearing loss and communication disorders.
Campus Sustainability
Winona State University in Winona, Minn., announced this week that it is partnering with construction and energy services firm McKinstry for a $12.3-million sustainability and solar energy project.
Campus Funding
A Texas university has received nearly $45 million for capital projects from the state. Midwestern State University will use its allocation to update a science building and do infrastructure upgrades across the campus.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/27/21
New Construction
Kent State University recently approved construction of a new $74 million, 145,000-square-foot building to house its College of Business Administration. It will be named after the individual who has made the largest donation Kent has ever received.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/26/21
Campus Renovations
The 113-year-old building housing the Tulane University School of Architecture will have its façades, structure, stairs and interior spaces restored over the next two years. The work on Richardson Memorial Hall, originally built in 1908, will begin in early spring 2022, with a goal of reopening in fall 2023.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/26/21
New Construction
A New Jersey university has just broken ground on the site of a new museum that is intended to explore the ancient natural past of the area while consuming net-zero energy.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/26/21
Campus Renovation
The task: Transform the outdated, fortress-like 1960s Neuberger Hall (currently named Fariborz Maseeh Hall) on the campus of Portland State University in Portland, Ore., into a modern, interactive, light-filled academic hub.
New Construction
A new elementary school recently opened in Foster City, Calif., as part of the San Mateo-Foster City School District (SMFCSD). Beach Park Elementary School lies in the Silicon Valley area, about halfway between San Jose and San Francisco, Calif.
New Construction
Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) recently announced the completion of a new, 14,524-square-foot replacement field house on the campus of Williams Field High School (WFHS) in Gilbert, Ariz.
Funding
School districts throughout the U.S. are on the verge of letting large construction projects with new funding from citizen-supported bond elections. Some school districts already have secured their funding, and others will ask voters to approve bond packages in November and December.
Campus Amenities
Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions recently introduced its Tectum Create! Direct-Attach line of ceiling and wall panels. The textured panels come in a variety of standard and custom designs to add flair and aesthetics to any space.
Campus Renovations
The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., broke ground this week on a project involving renovations to its 85-year-old chemistry building and the new construction of a collaborative learning facility.
New Construction
The Texas Legislature recently approved $100 million for the construction of a health sciences building on the campus of Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas.
Campus Sustainability
Schneider Electric recently announced that it is partnering with the Richland County School District One (Richland One) in Columbia, S.C., to help the district meet its goal of Net Zero energy consumption.
New Construction
HPM announced recently that it has been chosen as the Program Manager for capital and facility-based projects for the Manor Independent School District (Manor ISD) near Austin, Texas.
Campus Amenities
Furniture solutions provider Kimball recently launched a modular workplace platform that adds flexibility to any environment.
A 2013 study from the Department of Homeland Security suggests that only 15% of active assailant events in schools occur outside of the school building. That figure, then, means that 85% of active shooter events in schools occur within the building, once the assailant has made it past external security. In addition to preventing active shooter situations from occurring, it’s just as important to focus on how to manage them and minimize the damage once they’ve already begun.
ASSA ABLOY recently launched a 360° virtual online tour demonstrating access control and security and solutions to help higher education administrators address common challenges.
A 16-year-old student at Laramie High School in Laramie, Wyo., was arrested and led away from her school in handcuffs on Thursday, Oct. 7. Junior Grace Smith said in an interview that she was arrested for trespassing after receiving a suspension for refusing to follow the school’s mask mandate and then refusing to leave school grounds.
A school safety officer in Long Beach, Calif., has been fired following an incident that left an 18-year-old mother brain-dead, and the Long Beach Police Department has opened a homicide investigation.
Healthy Schools
A $1.4 million HVAC upgrade at Missouri's East Central College, paid for by federal COVID-relief funds, is expected to mitigate the transmission of viruses in several campus buildings. The work was performed by Johnson Controls as part of its "OpenBlue" healthy buildings program.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/13/21
Campus Sustainability
Ontario-based Cambrian College is moving into the next phase of a long-term agreement with Honeywell and Honeywell Building Technologies to replace aging equipment and update lighting in pursuit of energy savings. The improvements are expected to save the college at least $480,000 within the first year.
- By Dian Schaffhauser
- 10/13/21
Campus Renovations
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) in Davis, Calif., recently debuted a nearly total renovation of the 85-year-old Walker Hall. The two-story, north side of the facility will now serve as the campus’ Graduate Center.
University Renovations
St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, announced a renovation project recently that will transform the 105-year-old LeClaire Hall (the second-oldest building on campus) into the Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design.
Healthy Schools
The North Bend School District in North Bend, Ore., recently announced that it has chosen Alen as its provider of indoor air quality solutions.
New Construction
Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., recently announced that construction is complete on a new, $61.5-million Language Arts and Social Science Building. The college partnered with C.W. Driver Companies on the facility, which measures in at three stories and 107,760 square feet.
Healthy Schools
The Meriwether County School District in Greenville, Ga., announced this week that its school board has voted to install disinfection devices on buses.
Campus Expansion
Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently broke ground on a 44,000-square-foot expansion to its Aeronautics and Engineering Building. The new space will contain amenities like collaborative spaces, teaching and research labs and administrative space.
New Construction
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, Sept. 30, for a new K–12 Multi-Campus facility for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools in Garden City, Ga.
Campus Modernization
Fremont High School, part of the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, Calif., recently debuted a series of new and modernized facilities to faculty, staff and students.