flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Have colleges + universities gone too far with "Quality of Life" buildings?

Have colleges + universities gone too far with "Quality of Life" buildings?

We'd like your input - recent projects, photo/s, renderings, and expert insight - on an important article we're working on for our Jan 2013 issue


By By Robert Cassidy | November 13, 2012

We'd like your input - recent projects, photo/s, renderings, and expert insight - on an important article we're working on for our Jan 2013 issue:

HIGHER EDUCATION: Residence Halls, Student Unions, and ‘Quality of Life’ Factors in the Halls of Ivy

With total costs exceeding $50,000 at many colleges/universities, and with U.S. student debt nearing $1 trillion, will institutions be forced to cut back on "quality of campus life" buildings: residence halls that rival the Ritz, student unions and refectories that go well beyond the basics of bed and board, recreation centers that may seem over the top in their amenities? What about other "quality of campus life" buildings?

We're not talking about basic classroom, science & technology, or administrative buildings here. We're interested in those structures that are not, strictly speaking, essential to the curriculum or administration of the institution - those facilities that serve to enhance the "quality of campus life."

The essential question: Have colleges and universities gone too far with these structures? Or does competition for top students, institutional pride, or some other factor make it essential that institutions of higher learning keep raising the bar? And who's going to pay for these facilities?

Please send project information, PDFs, photo/s, renderings, and related information to our Contributing Editor, Susan Bady (susanbady@sbcglobal.net). 

Please also let Susan know the name and contact info (email, phone, office location) of your top expert on higher-ed facilities.

Deadline: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we'd like to get these materials by Friday, Nov 16, if possible.

Thanks for your help, and BD+C looks forward to working with you on this important article. +

Related Stories

| Feb 11, 2011

Green design, white snow at Egyptian desert retail complex

The Mall of Egypt will be a 135,000-sm retail and entertainment complex in Cairo’s modern 6th of October district. The two-story center is divided into three themed zones—The City, which is arranged as a series of streets lined with retail and public spaces; The Desert Valley, which contains upscale department stores, international retailers, and a central courtyard for music and other cultural events; and The Crystal, which will include leisure and entertainment venues, including a cinema and indoor snow park. RTKL is designing the massive complex to LEED Silver standards.

| Feb 10, 2011

7 Things to Know About Impact Glazing and Fire-rated Glass

Back-to-basics answers to seven common questions about impact glazing and fire-rated glass.

| Feb 10, 2011

Medical Data Center Sets High Bar for BIM Design Team

The construction of a new data center becomes a test case for BIM’s ability to enhance project delivery across an entire medical campus.

| Feb 10, 2011

Zero Energy Buildings: When Do They Pay Off in a Hot and Humid Climate?

There’s lots of talk about zero energy as the next big milestone in green building. Realistically, how close are we to this ambitious goal? At this point, the strategies required to get to zero energy are relatively expensive. Only a few buildings, most of them 6,000 sf or less, mostly located in California and similar moderate climates, have hit the mark. What about larger buildings, commercial buildings, more problematic climates? Given the constraints of current technology and the comfort demands of building users, is zero energy a worthwhile investment for buildings in, for example, a warm, humid climate?

| Feb 9, 2011

Hospital Construction in the Age of Obamacare

The recession has hurt even the usually vibrant healthcare segment. Nearly three out of four hospital systems have put the brakes on capital projects.  We asked five capital expenditure insiders for their advice on how Building Teams can still succeed in this highly competitive sector.

| Feb 9, 2011

Businesses make bigger, bolder sustainability commitments

In 2010, U.S. corporations continued to enhance their sustainable business efforts by making bigger, bolder, longer-term sustainability commitments. GreenBiz issued its 4th annual State of Green Business report, a free downloadable report that measures the progress of U.S. business and the economy from an environmental perspective, and highlights key trends in corporate culture in regard to the environment.

| Feb 8, 2011

AIA names 104 members to College of Fellows

The Fellowship program was developed to elevate those architects who have made a significant contribution to architecture and society and who have achieved a standard of excellence in the profession. Election to fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of architects as individuals, but also their significant contribution to architecture and society on a national level.

| Feb 4, 2011

President Obama: 20% improvement in energy efficiency will save $40 billion

President Obama’s Better Buildings Initiative, announced February 3, 2011, aims to achieve a 20% improvement in energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 2020, improvements that will save American businesses $40 billion a year.

| Jan 31, 2011

Cuningham Group Architecture launches Healthcare studio with Lee Brennan

International design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, P.A. (Cuningham Group) has announced the arrival of Lee Brennan, AIA, as Principal and Leader of its new Healthcare studio. Brennan comes to Cuningham Group with over 30 years of professional experience, 22 of those years in healthcare, encompassing all aspects of project delivery, from strategic planning and programming through design and construction. The firm’s new Healthcare studio will enhance Cuningham Group’s expertise in leisure and entertainment, education, mixed-use/housing and workplace environments.

| Jan 31, 2011

HDR Architecture Releases Evidence-based Design Videos

As a follow-up to its book Evidence-based Design for Healthcare Facilities, HDR Architecture, Inc. has released three video case studies that highlight evidence-based design principles in action.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

The magic of L.A.’s Melrose Mile

Great streets are generally not initially curated or willed into being. Rather, they emerge organically from unintentional synergies of commercial, business, cultural and economic drivers. L.A.’s Melrose Avenue is a prime example. 


Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021