Economic recovery has been slow, and the overall higher ed market is still fairly flat, according to a 2013 report by consultant Paul Abramson, using data from Dun and Bradstreet (http://bit.ly/ZiM6cQ).
Nevertheless, better investment performance is improving the mood of donors and easing some of the pressure on endowments. āThe market is beginning to open up, with pent-up demand pushing projects to get funded and into design and construction,ā says Steve Rhoades, Associate Principal and Client Executive at KJWW Engineering Consultants.
Recruitment pressure has convinced some clients to green-light capital projects. āOne of the key drivers of growth is the need for colleges and universities to stay more competitive in amenities: more luxurious dorms, state-of-the-art athletic facilities, technologically advanced classrooms,ā says Thomas Goemaat, President and CEO of Shawmut. Goemaat says his firm has seen a āsignificant and sustained uptickā in academic work in New England and the Tri-State region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
Large facilities that combine academic and medical objectives are capitalizing on the synergy between education, science, and clinical services. For instance, the University at Buffalo (N.Y.), whose UB2020 master plan has been simmering since 2004, will break ground this fall on its $375 million School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Building. At half a million square feet, the HOK-designed facility is the linchpin of UBās plan to create a whole new Downtown Campus. The city will build a Metro station below the structure, and a childrenās hospital (run by the nonprofit Kaleida Health) and privately owned medical office building will rise next door.
TOP UNIVERSITY ARCHITECTURE FIRMS
Ā2012 University Revenue ($)1 Cannon Design $71,000,0002 Perkins+Will $49,726,5433 Stantec $36,704,0774 EYP $30,000,0005 SmithGroupJJR $25,600,0006 Gensler $22,140,0007 IBI Group $21,432,7128 Flad Architects $20,350,0009 Wight & Co. $18,072,20010 Sasaki Associates $16,865,404
TOP UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING FIRMS
Ā2012 University Revenue ($)1 Affiliated Engineers $47,202,0002 URS Corp. $39,211,8523 AECOM Technology Corp. $33,000,0004 Buro Happold Consulting Engineers $28,695,0005 Burns & McDonnell $25,635,0006 STV $21,121,0007 Parsons Brinckerhoff $19,000,0008 Clark Nexsen $18,141,7909 Vanderweil Engineers $15,062,10010 KJWW Engineering Consultants $13,554,873
TOP UNIVERSITY CONSTRUCTION FIRMS
Ā2012 University Revenue ($)1 Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The $818,113,1402 Turner Corporation, The $701,340,0003 Skanska USA $437,058,2284 Structure Tone $354,907,9005 PCL Construction Enterprises $340,500,0756 Mortenson Construction $246,330,0007 Swinerton Builders $229,439,9508 DPR Construction $227,149,3779 Sundt Construction $225,748,51410 Austin Commercial $225,311,911
The partnership aspects of the UB project illustrate a trend toward creative public/private development. āThere is a growing understanding that institutions can no longer afford to function independent of their host communityāa change that has been driven in part by growing financial pressures,ā says Mike Medici, AIA, Learning Practice Leader at SmithGroupJJR. āThis is leading to an increase in community development partnerships as institutions seek to leverage their impact as āeconomic engines.āā
In Camden, N.J., Rowan University is finishing its $139 million Cooper Medical School education buildingāhome of a new med school, the stateās first such project in more than 30 years. The curriculum emphasizes problem-based learning, with academic facilities tailored to group work plus hands-on simulations with robots and even a virtual reality CAVE. The project, designed by HDR, embodies higher edās current concern for programs that prepare students for a tough job market.
With thousands of traditional dorms still in use, the need for more modern residences also continues to generate work. Some responses have been dramatic, such as the 21-story Tree House just built by Suffolk Construction at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston. Amenities of the 493-bed apartment-style facility include a health center, cafĆ©, and āPajama Floorā where students can play games, watch TV, study, or work out while doing laundry. Hardin Construction (just acquired by DPR) recently delivered projects comprising nearly 2,000 beds for four academic clients in Georgiaāall spurred by a desire to meet āmodern consumer expectations,ā according to Director of Higher Education Carlos Torres.
In another competitive strategy, some schools are replacing old-style student unions with recreation centers emphasizing wellness. Buildings may include student services offices, clinics, or classrooms for related subjects.
Auburn University at Montgomery (Ala.) positioned its 74,000-sf Wellness Center as a new front door for the entire campus. Constructed by BL Harbert International, the facility includes outdoor fields, two basketball courts, weight and cardio rooms, two multipurpose rooms, an aquatic center with outdoor spa, an indoor track, climbing wall, and juice bar, plus classrooms, lecture halls, and a lab for the Department of Physical Education and Exercise Science.
Finally, the American College & University Presidentsā Climate Commitment, now with 669 signatories, continues to influence construction. Some schools are eyeing net-zero and the Living Building Challenge for a variety of building types. And though central plants may not be glamorous, many clients now recognize the tantalizing ROI offered by improved infrastructure. In an extreme example, Rist-Frost-Shumway engineered a new 15,800-sf wood-biomass heating plant with cogeneration for Colby College in Waterville, Maineāa milestone in the schoolās quest for carbon neutrality.
As in other sectors, energy performance of existing buildings is also becoming a high priority for higher ed. āThe old piecemeal approach that advocates randomly adding sustainable applications wonāt do the trick; more holistic building energy strategies are required,ā says Vuk Vujovic, Director of Sustainable Design at Legat Architects.
Read BD+C's full Giants 300 Report
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 28, 2015
7 (more) steps toward a quieter hospital
Every hospital has its own ācultureā of loudness and quiet. Jacobsā Chris Kay offers steps to a therapeutic auditory environment.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 28, 2015
Shhh!!! 6 ways to keep the noise down in new and existing hospitals
Thereās a ādecibel warā going on in the nationās hospitals. Progressive Building Teams are leading the charge to give patients quieter healing environments.Ā Ā
Architects | Aug 28, 2015
How to transition leadership within your architecture firm, Part 2
Close to retiring? Without a plan for leadership transition, you might not foster candidatesĀ who will be capable of taking over the reins, says Whitehorn Financial'sĀ Steve Whitehorn.
Retail Centers | Aug 27, 2015
Vallco Shopping Mall renovation plans include 'largest green roof in the world'
The new owners of the mall in Cupertino, Calif., intend toĀ transformĀ the outdated shopping mall into aĀ multi-purpose complex, toppedĀ by a 30-acre park.
Libraries | Aug 27, 2015
Barack Obama Foundation begins search for presidential library architect
Both national and foreign firms will compete for chance to design theĀ Chicago-based Presidential Center.
Architects | Aug 27, 2015
How to transition leadership within your architecture firm, Part 1
In order for your firm to thrive and preserve your legacy after retirement, it is essential that you create a strategic plan to not only transition ownership of your firm but its leadership as well.
Mixed-Use | Aug 26, 2015
Innovation districts + tech clusters: How the āopen innovationā era is revitalizing urban cores
In the race for highly coveted tech companies and startups, cities, institutions, and developers are teaming to form innovation hot pockets.
Office Buildings | Aug 19, 2015
Good design can combat open-office issues
Three tricks to maintain privacy and worker production in a cube-less world, according to GS&P'sĀ Jack E. WeberĀ
Architects | Aug 19, 2015
Despite dip, architecture billings remain strong
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the July ABI score was 54.7, down a point from a mark of 55.7 in June.
Architects | Aug 17, 2015
Historic power plant converted to modern offices in Minnesota
A landmark power plant in Owatonna, Minn., damaged in a 2010 flood has new life as the headquarters of Owatonna Public Utilities following a renovation by architects Leo A. Daly.