What You Need to Know

• Texas State Technical College opened its new Construction Technologies Center to students Feb. 2 at its Waco campus.��

• The facility��consolidates��multiple construction-trades programs that previously��operated��in separate campus buildings.��

• TSTC and contractor materials describe labs and hands-on training space for building construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing/pipefitting and solar.��

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, according to TSTC.��

Learn More��

WACO, Texas��—�� On��Feb. 2, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) opened a new Construction Technologies Center to students at its Waco campus, bringing several construction-trades programs under one roof.��

The opening marks a milestone for the campus’ multi-trade expansion project, which TSTC leaders and students say is designed to support hands-on learning and collaboration across disciplines.��

The��120,000-square-foot, two-floor structure housing Building Construction, Electrical Construction, HVAC, Plumbing and Pipefitting and Solar Energy programs.��

“It feels good,” TSTC senior construction project manager Michael Schumacher said, in��. “It is nice to see students here, sitting on the furniture and hanging out in the labs.”��

Students interviewed by TSTC pointed to larger labs and upgraded learning spaces. “I love everything about it,” Plumbing and Pipefitting student Zachary Miller said, according to��. “Everything is bigger, better and there is more of it.”��

TSTC’s earlier project update said the center was planned to open in time for spring 2026 semester classes and would support program growth. The May 2025 report also highlighted features such as backlighting, glassed-in labs and a shaded outdoor work area, plus student lounge areas,��offices��and meeting space.��

“My favorite thing about the building is that its design, while serving as a beautiful showcase for TSTC, also allows our students in the construction trades to see how it is put together,” Schumacher��added in��.��

Built by��Rogers-O’Brien Construction, the new building includes��tiltwall��panels, structural��steel��and glazing systems.��Inside��students can take advantage of new��gathering spaces,��offices��and labs,��while outside the project added��surface parking and pedestrian pathways, according to��.��

This article is based on reporting originally published by Texas State Technical College on Feb. 2, 2026, and May 30, 2025, and project information published by Rogers-O’Brien Construction Company.��

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By Lindsey Coulter

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Construction of the new American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University recently marked a major construction milestone with the ceremonial topping out of the new David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. The A.R.T. plans to welcome audiences in early 2027.

Located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, the new home for the A.R.T. was designed to foster groundbreaking performance, public gathering, teaching and international research. The Goel Center for Creativity & Performance is designed by Haworth Tompkins (architect and design lead) and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge (architect of record), in collaboration with theater and acoustic consultant Charcoalblue. Shawmut Design and Construction serves as the project’s construction manager.

“Reaching the topping off milestone on the new home of the American Repertory Theater is an incredible moment for everyone involved in bringing this visionary project to life,” said Kevin Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Shawmut Design and Construction’s New England Region. “This structure represents both a remarkable technical achievement and a new benchmark for sustainable, low-carbon construction. Raising the final piece of the mass timber structure not only marks the next chapter in the A.R.T.’s story, but also stands as a symbol of innovation, collaboration, and community impact that will define this building for decades to come.”

Conceived through core principles of openness, artistic flexibility, collaboration, sustainability, and regenerative design, the Goel Center will provide interconnected, adaptable, multi-use spaces that support creativity and embrace future change. It will include two flexible performance venues — one seating 700 guests and capable of hosting large-scale productions as well as a versatile and intimate 300-seat black box theater. Additional spaces will include light-filled rehearsal studios and teaching spaces, a spacious public lobby, a café, and an outdoor performance yard. The building will also include dressing rooms, technical shops and administrative offices

A blend of peer review and scientific contributions from across Harvard University informed a rigorous design process. Members of The Harvard Healthy Buildings Academy, the Harvard Office for Sustainability, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Health, the Arnold Arboretum, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design each contributed to the project.

The center advances Harvard’s ambitious sustainability priorities and is designed with a blend of environmental and social strategies to minimize embodied and operational carbon, maximize wellbeing, boost biodiversity and enhance resiliency. This holistic approach to sustainable and regenerative design sets up the Goel Center to achieve Living Building Challenge Core accreditation from the International Living Future Institute, recognizing that it gives more to its environment than it takes.

A key driver of this commitment is the use of low-carbon, responsibly sourced materials. The building is constructed with laminate mass timber, reclaimed brick and cedar cladding to minimize its lifetime carbon budget. More than 2,000 individual mass timber components have been installed, including columns, beams, floors, walls, stairways and elevator shafts.

“We’re celebrating not just the placement of the final piece of mass timber but also the 50% point of construction.” said Susan Malaab, Senior Project Manager with Harvard Capital Projects. “The planning for the A.R.T. performance center began in 2018 with workshops that prioritized the goals of the project. Flexibility, public gathering, accessibility and a model of sustainability would shape the design. The design and construction team formed a partnership to reach those goals while maintaining the scope and budgetary requirements. The construction of the building will support the incremental expansion of the innovation ecosystem for the arts in Allston.”

The building’s chilled water, hot water and electric utilities will be supplied by Harvard’s new lower-carbon District Energy Facility. Additional clean energy will be generated by rooftop solar panels, while natural ventilation will reduce energy use and enhance occupant comfort. A green roof and extensive plantings will aid stormwater attenuation, increase biodiversity, and promote occupant wellbeing.

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ATLANTA — As students begin to head back to school, safety and security concerns are among some school district officials’ top growing priorities and concerns across the Atlanta Metro area.

The Fulton County school district, for example, is investing in Avigilon, a high-tech video surveillance system that will be installed in over 105 public school buildings at a cost of $4.6 million, according to the .

“The basic idea is to have one place to collaborate on emergency situations,” said Paul Hildreth, safety coordinator for Fulton County Schools, to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Safety comes in all forms — weather advisories, traffic alerts, as well as criminal activity.”

In addition to adding video surveillance, emergency alert systems, and more police and safety officers in Atlanta Metro school districts, recent construction projects like those in DeKalb County have incorporated several safety and security features across the district.

Fulton County is reportedly the fourth-largest school district in the state and has the funds for Avigilon’s elaborate system, but safety is an expense for all Metro school districts regardless of size. Some districts, like Gwinnett, Clayton and Henry counties, added more school police officers. Others like DeKalb County, which is Georgia’s third-largest school system, have invested in safety and security improvements in schools across their district.

Twenty metal detectors will be installed initially in five high schools throughout the district via a pilot program: Cross Keys High School (Region 1), Lakeside High School (Region 2), Stone Mountain High School (Region 3), Martin Luther King Jr. High School (Region 4), Towers High School (Region 5).

DeKalb County is investing $230 million into new facilities and additions, which will include two new elementary schools, in order to counter overcrowding in what is known as the Cross Keys Cluster, according to its .

According to DCSD board meeting , the new construction of school buildings now includes roll-down doors that help to increase security if a non-authorized individual enters the school premises.

A report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this report.

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OMAHA, Neb. — Jacobs Project Management has been awarded a contract for the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) Board of Education’s $409.9 million school construction project.

The ��reports that the project includes the construction of five new schools, thanks to the OPS bond measure passed by voters in May.

Through the passage of the measure, OPS will reportedly be able to finance the construction of two high schools, one in northwest Omaha and one in south Omaha, two elementary schools in south Omaha, and one middle school in south Omaha.

OPS will continue to move forward with Phase 2 of its construction projects now that Jacobs has been awarded a contract as project manager.

“The district is currently working with Jacobs to develop the official construction timeline for the renovation and construction work ahead,” said OPS Spokeswoman Monique Farmer.

According to a FAQ about the bond, the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee has overseen the Phase 1 bond program since it started and will continue to oversee the Phase 2 bond issue to ensure that the district stays within budget.

The website states that the $409.9 million bond will be distributed across the district for both renovation and new construction projects, with over $41 million going towards renovation projects at elementary schools, over $29 million going towards renovation projects at middle schools, and over $69 million going towards renovation projects at high schools, and an alternative school.

Included in those numbers are additions to be completed at Edison, Highland, Masters Pinewood and Spring Lake Magnet Elementary Schools and Lewis & Clark and Morton Magnet Middle Schools.

Over $42 million is being allocated to the construction of the two new elementary schools, over $42 million is being allocated to the new middle school, and over $184 million is being allocated to the two new high schools.

OPS enrolls over 52,000 students and is currently made up of 63 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, seven high schools, one virtual school and 13 alternative programs, according to its .

Jacobs’ history with OPS ��dates back to 1999, when the company managed OPS’ $254 million bond issue. The company was reportedly paid $15.1 million, or 5.9 percent of the total $254 million authorized by voters, over the course of five years to coordinate construction projects and organize dozens of contractors as OPS’ bond program manager.

The Omaha World-Herald reported that for the 2014 Phase 1 program, Jacobs was paid $15.9 million, or 3.79 percent of the $421 million in bonds approved by voters, for a five-year contract that included them overseeing the design, construction and completion of those projects.

That Phase 1 project reportedly included both major and minor construction at 81 existing schools and alternative programs within the school district.

For Phase 2, the program manager will juggle a number of duties, including handling construction budgets, scheduling work, managing bids, inspecting construction and running an economic inclusion program that is intended to provide a more equal playing field for small and local contractors competing for work.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, Northwest and Bryan High, which opened in the 1970s, were the last to be built in the school district, making the new high school being built in Phase 2, the first new high school to be built in several decades.

Reports from the Omaha World-Herald, and information from the Omaha Public School District’s website contributed to this story.

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ATLANTA — The Emory University Hospital Tower has been awarded LEED Silver certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is the first Emory Healthcare building to be LEED certified at Emory.

Known as the most widely used green building rating system in the world, LEED provides the framework to create healthy, highly-efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of achievement of sustainability.

The $400 million, 450,000-square-foot Emory University Hospital Tower, located at 1364 Clifton Road across from the current hospital, opened for patient care in the summer of 2017. The building meets high standards for air quality, energy efficiency and for using locally sourced materials. Its sustainable, inspirational and collaborative environment promotes healthy lifestyles, learning and community.

“Achieving LEED Silver certification is a testament to the hard work and dedication by our planning, design, architectural and construction teams in supporting sustainability,” says Bryce Gartland, MD, CEO of Emory University Hospital and Hospital Group President for Emory Healthcare. “This building saves on energy, water, and other resources while supporting human health, which creates a positive environment for all of those who work and receive care in this space.”

Buildings pursuing LEED certification earn points across several categories such as location and transportation, water efficiency, sustainability, materials and resources, energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, innovation and more. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then earns one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.

Key elements in the design and construction of the Emory University Hospital Tower include the following sustainable features:

• Project site located in close proximity to basic services such as restaurants, stores and public transit to encourage building occupants to walk instead of drive
• Low-flow indoor water fixtures reduce water consumption by an estimated 20 percent
• Energy-efficient exterior glazing systems allow for daylight to reach core areas throughout the building
• Materials used contain recycled and regionally manufactured content
• Energy-efficient features that allow for more than 20 percent energy savings
• Over 95 percent of construction waste recycled
• Special focus on indoor environmental quality for improving occupant health and well-being of employees
• Lead- and mercury-free facility
• Recycling program implemented

Since the recycling program began at the Emory University Hospital Tower, an average of nearly 30,000 pounds of cardboard and white paper are being recycled each month. The hospital’s Environmental Services team is responsible for collecting the recyclable material and taking it to a designated bin for pick-up.

“LEED Silver certification places Emory Healthcare and the Emory University Hospital Tower in a category above many others when it comes to design and building construction for hospitals,” said David Pugh, vice president for facility and space design for Emory Healthcare. “We are excited to receive this recognition and know it signifies Emory Healthcare’s commitment to green building design now and in the future.”

With a strong focus on sustainability, Emory University now has 34 LEED certified buildings that equal more than 4 million square feet. These buildings include: Candler Library, Candler School of Theology Phase I and Phase II, Claudia Nance Rollins Building, Emory Conference Center Addition, Health Sciences Research building, and James B. Williams Medical Education building.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Lilly Endowment Inc. recently awarded the Indiana University Foundation a $10.9 million grant to support renovation of the university’s internationally renowned Lilly Library, IU President Michael A. McRobbie has announced.

Consistently regarded as one of the nation’s top libraries for books and manuscripts of the greatest importance, the Lilly Library was established in 1960 to house the extensive private library of the late Josiah K. Lilly Jr., one of Lilly Endowment’s founders. The collection he donated includes more than 20,000 rare books and 17,000 manuscripts.

The Lilly Library now contains more than 450,000 rare books, 8.5 million manuscripts and 150,000 sheets of music. Part of the IU Libraries, the venerable limestone building is in the heart of IU Bloomington’s Fine Arts Plaza, the campus’s center for the arts and humanities.

Students often come to the Lilly Library as part of their coursework to review some of the one-of-a-kind materials preserved in the facility.

“Indiana University’s Lilly Library is a state, national and international treasure, and a testament to the vision and generosity of J.K. Lilly Jr.,” said McRobbie. “It has always been universally acclaimed for its unique, world-class collections. Its vibrant and stunning materials continue to astonish all those who use them.

“With this extraordinary support from Lilly Endowment Inc., the Lilly Library will greatly improve its ability to provide wide access to the library’s rare books, manuscripts and objects to broader audiences — from children to lifelong learners and scholars — enhancing all of our communities.”

The Lilly Endowment grant will support major upgrades to the 52,516-square-foot facility’s mechanical systems and lighting, technological equipment, fire protection and security systems, ADA access and building navigation, and space configuration. These improvements will enable maximum preservation and an enhanced and more modern presentation of the library’s literary and cultural treasures, which require special handling and can only be accessed in secure on-site areas. They will also allow students, scholars, researchers, educators and other visitors to more effectively access and experience the library’s one-of-a-kind materials, which are frequently and increasingly incorporated by IU faculty into their teaching, research and creative activities.

“Lilly Endowment is most pleased to support this comprehensive renovation,” said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s chairman, president and CEO. “The Lilly Library meant a great deal to J.K Lilly Jr., who was one of our three founders. These improvements will significantly further his interest in having his magnificent collection, which he so passionately assembled, appreciated and used by future generations.”

According to Lilly Library director Joel Silver, courses taught on site have increased by more than 225 percent since 1992. In 1960, the Lilly Library’s total collection numbered approximately 100,000 rare books and 1 million manuscripts. Today, the book collection has increased 350 percent, and the manuscript collection has grown 750 percent.

The Lilly Library will continue to meet researcher requests for access to its collections and other services in the Herman B Wells Library during construction, which is expected to begin late this year. The library facility is expected to be closed for about 18 months.

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URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ Natural History Building has earned LEED Gold certification for energy efficiency and environmentally friendly construction practices in the wake of a recent $79 million renovation.

Originally built in 1892, the Natural History Building reopened in 2017 after a three-year renovation to modernize and add classrooms, laboratories, and study spaces and enhance teaching, research, and collaboration environments. From the beginning of the project, campus officials directed a significant amount of planning and design efforts toward a goal of attaining gold certification, thereby creating healthier and more sustainable spaces to benefit students, faculty, and staff.

The Illinois College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) Natural History Building renovation received high merits for being conducted in an environmentally efficient manner, with close attention paid to preventing pollution. More than 76 percent of the construction waste was recycled. A large amount of the material removed from the building was reused.

Rapidly renewable materials, such as bamboo flooring, were used in the renovation project. The Natural History Building also received points for water efficient landscaping, energy efficient heating and air conditioning, high levels of daylight for natural lighting, occupancy sensors, and continual energy monitoring.

“Energy efficiency was one of our primary concerns in renovating the Natural History Building,” said Feng Sheng Hu, the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS. “We are pleased that the U.S. Green Building Council granted us gold certification. In every step of the process, we modernized and expanded the capabilities of this critical building in a sustainable manner.”

The renovation significantly improved water efficiency at the Natural History Building. The building was able to reduce its water usage by at least 20 percent, which is significant given the large number of laboratories and high student traffic in the building. The project also received high marks for using an existing site, having great access to public transportation, and incorporating bicycle parking.

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EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University’s future STEM Teaching and Learning Facility will be the first in Michigan to use an innovative wood product, rather than concrete and/or steel, for its load-bearing structure.

Known as mass timber, this framing style uses large solid or engineered wood. The $100 million facility will be constructed of glue-laminated wooden columns and cross-laminated timber, or CLT, a relatively new product for the floors and ceilings.

“As a leading public research university, MSU has the fantastic opportunity to showcase these innovative and sustainable construction methods in the state of Michigan,” said Satish Udpa, MSU’s acting president. “I am delighted to see university operations, including building construction, pull from our state’s history as a lumber leader and mesh with the engineering capabilities of advanced materials.”

CLT is a wood panel made from gluing layers of solid wood at cross-grain to result in a lightweight and strong panel. It’s been used in Europe for more than 20 years, with recent interest in Canada and the U.S., especially on the West Coast.

“We compared mass timber with other framing methods and were intrigued by how far wood has come as a building material,” said John LeFevre, MSU’s Planning, Design and Construction director. “A major advantage is the speed of construction – the panels can be assembled very quickly.”

The new building will be constructed around the former Shaw Lane Power Plant, adjacent to Spartan Stadium. The renovation will include a student science studio space and a vibrant commons area with a cafe. Two new mass timber wings will offer 117,000 square feet of modern teaching labs, responding to STEM course demand, which has increased 40 percent in the last 10 years at MSU. The project architect is IDS with Ellenzweig Architecture, IDEO Design and Sasaki Design. Granger Construction Company is the construction manager.

The pleasing aesthetics of exposed wood also create a warm, inviting and atypical environment for learning science.

“I am excited to see the educational, research and outreach opportunities that the building itself promises to many academic units and to our land-grant mission,” said Ron Hendrick, dean of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “It is an interdisciplinary platform encompassing forestry, construction management, biosystems engineering and beyond, and can serve as a catalyst to develop this new technology in Michigan.”

Many believe the MSU building will catalyze additional mass-timber construction in the state, which might lead to establishing CLT manufacturing in Michigan.

“Michigan is ideally situated to become a leader in mass-timber manufacturing,” said Mark Rudnicki, Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute executive director. “We have abundant forest resources that are managed sustainably and the manufacturing know-how. But there is not a building CLT manufacturer in the central U.S.”

Michigan DNR officials agree.

“Having a CLT manufacturer in Michigan would not only create green jobs using sustainable resources, but also provide the financial resources and incentives that are needed to restore and conserve healthy, diverse and productive forests that provide so many other benefits,” said Debbie Begalle, state forester and chief of the Forest Resources Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The building is slated to open in fall 2020 with classes beginning in January 2021. The wood panels are being manufactured in Quebec and will arrive on campus in April.

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ALBANY, N.Y. – New York University (NYU) is moving forward with plans to advance sustainable construction and renovation projects throughout its university system.

Gerrard P. Bushell, Ph.D., president & CEO of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), recently announced that NYU issued $862.8 million in bonds through DASNY. The financing will be used in conjunction with previous financings to advance construction and renovation projects throughout the university system. The $862.8 million issued by DASNY on behalf of NYU was offered as $603.5 million in tax-exempt bonds and $259.3 million in taxable bonds.

The issuance includes more than $83 million in Green Bonds providing investors with the opportunity to directly support projects that NYU has identified as environmentally sustainable. Green Bond proceeds will go toward sustainable construction projects and equipment at NYU’s 181 Mercer Street, 370 Jay Street, and the Langone Health Science Building.

“We are excited to have the opportunity continue our long-standing partnership with New York University,” said Bushell. “In working to reduce the university system’s carbon footprint, we are creating more sustainable communities and helping support Gov. Cuomo’s vision for a cleaner, greener New York.”

The proceeds of the issuance will be used to pay for the construction and equipping of a mixed-use building at 181 Mercer Street, which will include dozens of new classrooms, spaces for performing arts education, training, and rehearsals, student and faculty housing, and a replacement sports and recreation facility. The construction will incorporate a variety of sustainable design features such as:

• Connecting to the university’s high-efficiency, green-house gas and pollutant-lowering Co-Generation (CoGen) facility, which produces electricity, heat, and chilled water
• Low-flow plumbing
• Green roofs and outdoor terraces with low irrigation plants to help naturally cool the building, with a retention tank to manage rainwater runoff.

Other Green Bond-funded university system upgrades include:

• Converting the facility at 370 Jay Street into an innovation hub for engineering, applied and urban sciences, and digital technology and media arts. Restoring the existing façade of the building using high-performance, energy efficient windows, and preserving the neighborhood’s aesthetic character, while significantly reducing the building’s energy footprint
• Construction and equipping of the Langone Health Science Building, incorporating various green design strategies such as external glass louvers on the south façade to mitigate direct sun and glare, a light-colored roof and paving stones along with vegetated terraces to also reduce energy load and mitigate urban heat island effect, and high efficiency lab equipment.

NYU embraces sustainable building practices, with the vast majority of the 2019 transaction (tax-exempt and the taxable) slated to support green construction and renovation projects. Last year, NYU made a commitment that all new building construction earn LEED Silver designation at a minimum.

“NYU plans to be carbon neutral by 2040,” said Cecil Scheib, assistant vice president for Sustainability. “With DASNY’s support to make sustainable capital projects cost effective here in New York State, NYU can make the most of each construction opportunity.”

The remainder of the Series 2019 bonds financed other projects, including:

• Upgrades to the university’s CoGen plant to improve energy-efficiency and accommodate increased electricity, heating, and cooling needs related to expansion, the Co-Gen plant substantially reduced NYU’s carbon footprint when it first came on line in 2011
• Upgrades to infrastructure and renovations at 404 Lafayette Street and 708 Broadway
• Improvements to academic facilities in Brooklyn for the Tandon School of Engineering
• Renovations and equipping of space for use by the university’s Chemical Biology Department at the Silver Complex.

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