A “topping out” ceremony on September 9 marked the symbolic installation of the last piece of structural steel for the Health and Biomedical Sciences Center at the University of Houston, which will feature the College of Optometry’s Vision Institute. In keeping with tradition, a small tree and a flag were attached to the steel beam, which bears the signatures of those involved in the project from the university and the design and construction team. Dr Earl Smith, dean of the UH College of Optometry spoke at ...[more]

Colorado College marked the renovation of the college’s dining facilities at the Worner Center with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony today on the Center’s south patio. President Jill Tiefenthaler welcomed guests to the event, which was followed by a tour of Rastall Hall.

The renovation has transformed the tired facility into a bright, dynamic social space for Colorado College that is both welcoming and energy-efficient. Central to the project’s success are new serveries with Energy Star-rated equipment and an easy-to-navigate layout. An interactive flat-screen monitors energy consumption in the building.

The project, ...[more]

What do you get when you bring together hungry students, the need for social spaces, and a great design? In this case, the answer is the renovation and expansion of Duke University’s landmark West Union.

Now in design, the project will create a social hub with a range of dining options, drawing students and faculty from across the school’s West Campus.

Programming and conceptual design have followed an assessment of the building completed earlier this summer. The project will preserve the West Union’s Collegiate Gothic façade while renovating 52,000 square feet of space and using an interior courtyard to create 52,550 square feet of new space.

The West Union project is preliminarily planned ...[more]

Bloomington, IL – Site preparation is now underway at Illinois Wesleyan for the newest addition to the university’s main quad: a technology-rich classroom building with a wide array of classroom, study, and social spaces.

Sustainability is the watchword from project outset, as construction waste and debris from the site is recycled. The brick-clad building will be highly energy-efficient, with generous use of natural light and a geothermal field below.

The new classroom building is Shepley Bulfinch’s third project on the Illinois Wesleyan campus, following the Ames Library, which opened in ...[more]

As the work of the academic year wrapped up in May at Colorado College, another sort of work began, with the summer renovation of Rastall Hall, Benji’s Café, and Colorado Café in the Worner Center.

Students arriving on campus in the fall will find the Worner Center’s dining facilities transformed into a bright and welcoming space. In keeping with the College’s commitment to sustainability, the project includes a number of sustainable features which will be an important part of the College’s pursuit of LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design – Existing ...[more]

Austin College president Marjorie Hass welcomed trustees, distinguished alumni, and other guests at a June 3 groundbreaking ceremony for the IDEA Center, the Sherman, Texas, college’s new science and technology complex.

Twelve years in the planning, the 103,000 s.f. Center will emphasize breaking down boundaries between disciplines, housing the departments of physics, chemistry, biology, environmental studies, math, and computer science in one facility. A centerpiece of the new academic building is a domed observatory, with a 24” telescope that will be among the best among the country’s liberal arts institutions.

The IDEA ...[more]