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Lockwood specializes in business development, client relations, market analysis, project oversight, design-build expertise, construction administration and team building and development. His experience in these areas includes successful project outcomes with University of North Carolina at Wilmington, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State, Colorado State University, Colorado College, Adams State University, University of Wyoming and various community college campuses across the country.��

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Long focuses on designing higher education, recreation and community spaces that foster healthy, positive experiences for users. She previously served as associate vice president for student wellness at Montana State University in Bozeman and as executive director of wellness and recreation services at University of Colorado Denver. In these roles, Long led strategic planning initiatives to create spaces that support collaboration, socialization and well-being.����

At SmithGroup, Long will draw on her extensive experiences to lead strategy and thought leadership in higher education, recreation and wellness architecture as well as in campus master planning, strategic planning and operations.

“I’ve had the opportunity to plan, open and lead teams in operations of two new facilities,” Long said in a statement. “I learned so much from these experiences and strive to use those lessons to help others going through similar processes.”��

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The new $151 million City College of San Francisco (CCSF) STEAM Building communicates its academic purpose almost immediately. From the outside, students and visitors see not just the interplay of sunlight on the building’s textured facade, they can also see directly into the facility itself—where science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics instruction is fully on display. Inside, the building offers a dynamic learning environment complete with the latest technologies and a rich color palette. ��

These thoughtful and impactful design strategies by integrated design firm SmithGroup are representative of the immense care and intention brought to every aspect of the building’s development. The SmithGroup team worked closely with CCSF officials, Kitchell construction management, and collaborative Design-Build partners at Rudolph + Sletten to deliver a technical, compact and challenging project at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and within a limited budget. The project challenged the team to think broadly and innovatively to connect art and science education in new and exciting ways. ��

Engaging and Listening ��

The 124,000-square-foot STEAM Building was part of an $845 million public bond effort to update City College instructional spaces and address aging infrastructure. CCSF administrators used part of the funding to prioritize STEAM education, modernize outdated infrastructure, and foster interdisciplinary knowledge to better prepare students for an evolving economy.  ��

The team of SmithGroup and Rudolph + Sletten was awarded to the project under the first progressive design-build delivery approach commissioned by the CCSF Community College District. The team was tasked with developing numerous programming, design and pricing options to maximize the college’s budget. To accomplish this, SmithGroup created design criteria using stakeholders’ priorities and institutional goals which developed into a survey tool that allowed faculty, staff, and students to vote on aspects of the design that best aligned with the criteria. The team also used brainstorming exercises to help university leaders to think more deeply about interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The approach gave stakeholders a sense of co-creation and ownership, but also helped identify spatial challenges and organizational opportunities.  ��

Prioritizing Needs ��

In addition to balancing constraints related to the pandemic and budget reductions, the team also faced the challenge of fitting all programs and spaces within the building’s compact footprint.  ��

“STEAM is a relatively rare typology for higher education and community colleges,” said Rosa Sheng, FAIA, director of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion and Higher Education Studio Leader for Smith Group’s San Francisco office. “While the STEAM interdisciplinary mindset is the goal, getting every department under one roof is challenging from a space and cost perspective.”  �į��

The project team and CCSF officials ultimately prioritized programs with the greatest infrastructure and space needs: Chemistry, Biology and 2D/3D Arts. The intent was to develop a highly transparent interdisciplinary hub for these programs while still welcoming the broader STEAM learning community. The solution was a simple structure to meet the efficiency of construction budget and schedule, paired with the design concept of stacking drawers. This allowed each floor’s interior composition to represent the building’s interdisciplinary nature. ��

The first floor focuses on shared instructional and collaboration spaces, while the second-floor houses art instruction, faculty offices and biology labs. Upper floors host integrated lab and lecture spaces for biology and chemistry. The project also introduced new tools and technologies. The Anatomy Lab now includes a cadaver room, there are new fume hoods in the chemistry lab, a greenhouse on the second floor for the Biology Department, and the Arts Department includes a kiln for the ceramics and sculpture programs, exhaust systems and chemical storage for printmaking, paints and materials. ��

Artful Aesthetics ��

The STEAM Building was envisioned as a radically welcoming, accessible interdisciplinary hub that provides safe and comfortable spaces for all users. It also had to meet the college’s strategic goals of cultivating curiosity, creativity and collaboration, while ensuring future-ready resilience.  �į��

This passion, shared by all project team members, is reflected through several thoughtful design strategies. For example, an Innovation Center on the first level opens to the outdoor plaza, inviting students and visitors into the building while showcasing the highly flexible makerspace and collaboration areas. To equip students for the careers of the future, the state-of-the-art lab and arts instruction spaces are designed for interdisciplinary education. Integrating welcoming spaces for individual and group study, tutoring and mentorship on all floors disrupts barriers to learning and engagement. ��

To further celebrate interdisciplinary learning, the team used “The Art of the Sciences” and “The Science of the Arts” approach to catalyze a shift in pedagogy. For example, the third-floor Anatomy Lab, which studies the human body from a biological perspective, is located above the figure-drawing studio, which celebrates the human body in art, explained Bill Katz, AIA, senior design principal and architect with SmithGroup. ��

“I love exploring the idea that the design of buildings on a campus can have a profound effect on interdisciplinary curriculum, and the sense of collected community that comes with it,” Katz said. ��

The team also developed a strategy in which fire separation doors on hold-opens allowed for each level to be interconnected with a feature staircase and student resource spaces. This smart interpretation of the code helped to create welcoming “heart spaces” that unified social zones on each floor. ��

“It was important to connect all four floors in a very intentional way, both physically and visually,” said Jason Campbell, Associate AIA, NOMA, associate and design lead with SmithGroup. “The centrally located open stair area and elevator core features a 4-story collage inspired by Diego Rivera’s ‘Pan American Unity’ mural, distilling the tones and hues used in the original fresco.” ��

The mural and its color palette serve as the foundation for the connectedness of arts and sciences throughout the building. Distinct orange, yellow and blue tones from the mural distinguish each floor to support wayfinding. The color theme is also expressed in the hallways, student resource spaces, open stairwell and restrooms.  �į��

Learn more about the CCSF STEAM Center, which opened in January, in the upcoming March/April digital edition of �鶹������.��

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EVANSTON, Ill. — Construction on Northwestern University’s Ryan Field, the $850 million project that will become the most expensive college football stadium in history, resumed earlier this month with metal decking and steel erection work underway. The new 35,000-seat facility will replace the original Ryan Field, built in 1926, and aims to deliver a world-class experience with premier seating, modern amenities and advanced technology. ��

The project is being completed by the joint venture of national construction firm Turner Construction and Chicago-based The Walsh Group, with design work by national firm HNTB Chicago-based firm Perkins&Will. The firm site design group, ltd., also based in Chicago, joins the Chicago and Madison civil engineering teams of SmithGroup on the design team. ��

Approved by the Evanston City Council in November 2023, groundwork began in February 2024 with the demolition of the original Ryan Field. The last piece of the original stadium, a press box, was removed in May, and a groundbreaking ceremony followed in June 2024.��

Inspired by NFL stadiums and English Premier League stadiums, Ryan Field will feature enhanced sightlines and a state-of-the-art canopy to improve light and sound for an immersive fan experience. Despite its reduced seating capacity — down 30% from the original — the stadium’s footprint will expand by 78%, covering 125,000 square feet. Surrounding the stadium, community green spaces, plazas and parks are planned for use in entertainment, dining and events.��

The design adheres to Universal Design Standards, ensuring accessibility for all visitors and meeting American Disability Act (ADA) requirements. Sustainability is a priority as well. More than 99% of materials from the original stadium will be recycled and repurposed, and the university is working toward LEED Gold certification.��

Northwestern University has pledged to allocate 35% of project contracts to minority-owned, woman-owned and local Evanston businesses, with $133 million already awarded. Local businesses, including Ozinga, Continental Electric and Illinois Masonry Corporation, have received $27 million so far, with the total expected to reach $200 million in contract awards to minority and women-owned business.��

Economic benefits are also anticipated, with the project expected to generate $659 million in economic impact for Evanston, $1.5 million in indirect tax revenue and more than 2,900 construction-related jobs.��

“We are extremely proud of the strong partnerships we have forged so far,” said Dave Davis, Northwestern University’s executive director of Neighborhood and Community Relations, in a statement. “We are encouraged to see that this generational investment is already having a meaningful and positive impact, and we look forward to seeing all we can accomplish through these partnerships.”��

The stadium is slated to be complete in 2026. ��

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�ʱ᰿��������—Designer SmithGroup and general contractor McCarthy Building Companies have reached a construction milestone on the $185 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 (ISTB12) at Arizona State University’s (ASU) Polytechnic campus, located in the eastern Phoenix neighborhood of Mesa. As the Polytechnic campus continues to develop as part of the Innovation Research District adjacent to the main campus, personnel from the school, along with professionals from McCarthy and SmithGroup, signed the ceremonial final beam, which was then hoisted into place atop the structure.��

When completed, the 173,194-square-foot ISTB12 will be a home for innovation and instruction in such fields as robotics, semiconductor research, energy and cyber manufacturing, and operations research as part and parcel of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering’s new School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks. ISTB12 will be home to office spaces, meeting areas, collaboration space and various laboratories.����

“The ISTB12 facility will propel the advancement of the most sophisticated technologies to benefit our students, faculty and researchers,” Tim Smith, ASU’s facilities development and management interim vice president, said at the topping-out ceremony. “The facility will allow our students to gain hands-on experience for jobs of tomorrow that will feed the advanced manufacturing taking place in the East Valley and metro Phoenix area.”��

McCarthy’s team has worked on the concrete, plumbing and steel components as part of the project construction docket. This work utilized prefabricated materials including multi-trade corridor racks that were assembled offsite before being installed at the jobsite. McCarthy has also taken advantage of prefabricated backer panels to enclose the structure, as well as a unique Unistrut system cast into the slab itself. This helped to keep the project on schedule despite some ongoing supply chain issues.����

“Our collaborative project team, which includes four summer interns preparing to be next-generation construction professionals, has been working hard to build ASU’s next state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the home of industry-leading research and education of professionals in one of the world’s most critical sectors,” Carlos Diaz, project director for McCarthy Building Companies, said of his company’s work on ISTB12. “The topping out signifies our team safely achieving a significant milestone and the project entering its next phase.”����

Sustainability elements at ISTB12 include rainwater collection to reuse for site landscaping in dry Arizona as well as solar-ready infrastructure. ASU is aiming for LEED Gold certification.����

Working with McCarthy are such subcontractors as E&K of Phoenix, KT Fabrication, Comfort Systems USA, Wilson Electric, Western Building Group, Climatec, MGC Millwork and Pete King. SmithGroup’s design partners include Wood Patel Associates and PK Associates.��

“We are committed to executing ASU’s vision for this project’s successful delivery,” said Diaz. “We look forward to a strong completion in late summer 2025.”����

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—While the world-renowned Johns Hopkins is based in Baltimore, the respected institution of higher learning has opened a new facility just 35 miles south in the nation’s capital. Key players on the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center—located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, just off the National Mall—included architect of record SmithGroup, construction manager Clark Construction, project management and owners’ representation firm MGAC, exterior architect Ennead Architects and interior architect Rockwell Group.

All of the D.C.-based graduate studies for the university will take place in the Bloomberg Center. The 435,000-square-foot Bloomberg Center houses the School of Advanced International Studies, Carey Business School, as well as the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

The Bloomberg Center exists inside the site of the former Newseum, which closed at the end of 2019. The space has now been transformed to host 38 classrooms, a 375-seat theater, study spaces, lounges, and terraces overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue and the nearby Capitol. The Bloomberg Center also hosts a coffee shop, fitness center and library.

The unique design for the building entails two cantilevered floating classrooms that hang from trusses. The classroom space allows for extensive views of the facility’s main atrium space. Other amenities include an open meeting space, dubbed “The Beach,” for students and staff to congregate and chat in between classes. The Beach is named in honor of a greenspace at Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus, located near central Baltimore.

The designers incorporated Tennessee Pink marble in the facade, which matches other famous buildings nearby such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, as well as the Smithsonian along the Mall. The architects aimed to achieve LEED Silver Certification.

“The Hopkins Bloomberg Center is a new landmark facility for Johns Hopkins University,” said MGAC Project Manager Vincent McLaughlin. “We are pleased to deliver a building that will contribute to the cultural and academic landscape of Washington, D.C.”

“Converting the Hopkins Bloomberg Center from a museum into a modern education facility to support Johns Hopkins University’s programs has been an exciting challenge,” said Amy Mercurio, associate vice president of capital projects for Johns Hopkins University. “We have greatly benefited from having the original building’s architects and engineers on our team.”

MGAC was hired in 2019 to provide project management support and cost management services.

“The dedication and technical experience of the team members involved in the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center project made it possible to navigate any obstacles,” Sarah Eynon, MGAC’s senior director, said in a statement emailed to �鶹������. “Their technical expertise and commitment resulted in a remarkable overhaul of the building, creating a collaborative workspace that truly reflects the progressive ethos of a forward-thinking University.”

MGAC’s services include cost and project management, technological solutions, FF&E procurement and relocation management.

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MESA, Ariz.—McCarthy Building Companies is now constructing the $185 million Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 (ISTB12) at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus, located in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Situated a few miles from the main ASU campus, the upgrades are part of an expansion for the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering’ School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks at ASU’s Polytechnic campus—which is also referred to as the Innovation Research District.

As designed by SmithGroup, the 173,194-square-foot structure will entail 128,828 programmable square feet spread out over three floors. In addition to traditional classrooms, among the spaces designed for ISTB12 will be offices, collaboration spaces and research labs dedicated to various engineering challenges. Among the specialties that will be addressed in the various laboratories will be robotics, cyber, semiconductor manufacturing and additive manufacturing.

“ISTB12 is ASU’s largest single capital investment on the Polytechnic campus,” Alex Kohnen, ASU’s Facilities Development and Management vice president, said during the groundbreaking ceremony. “This state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing research and educational center will be a gateway between our future innovation zone and our existing campus as ASU continues to support Arizona’s new economy initiatives.”

Working with McCarthy and SmithGroup will be subcontractors including WOODPATEL, PK Associates and Speedie & Associates.

Mark Kranz, design director for SmithGroup, said that the building will not only fashion an entirely new “gateway” to the tech campus but also will anchor the Innovation District as it grows in future collaborations between academic and business leaders.

“The three-story U-shaped design is connected by a ‘collaboration bridge’ that creates a shaded courtyard and breezeway at the Terrapin Mall, one of the campus’s main pedestrian thoroughfares,” explained Kranz. “The project’s materiality complements and elevates the campus’s existing iconic architectural character with highly articulated metallic panels, concrete masonry units, low-E glazing and calibrated shading elements.”

McCarthy’s construction teams also created the ISTB7 project at ASU’s main campus in Tempe in 2022. Accordingly, the GC was eager to again work with the university on the expansions to the Polytechnic campus as well.

“Our laboratory construction team is working with university and project partners to build another state-of-the-art facility that Sun Devils will be proud of for years to come,” said Carlos Diaz, project director for McCarthy.

ISTB12 is the latest Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects being constructed at various ASU campuses. Among the sustainability features at the science building are rainwater collection and solar-ready infrastructure. The project is aiming for LEED Silver certification.

Construction is projected to finish by November 2025.

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TUCSON, Ariz.—The design-build team of SmithGroup and McCarthy Building Companies has finished up work on the $85 million University of Arizona Applied Research Building (ARB), which will be home to the world’s single largest vacuum chamber, a cutting-edge apparatus that simulates outer space conditions and thus will be vital to extra-Earth research.

The 89,000-square-foot ARB will be the nation’s first freestanding educational structure dedicated specifically to the fabrication and testing of satellites.�� The ARB will be home to Arizona’s applied physical sciences and engineering departments, uniting under one roof eight different science disciplines including astronomy, optical sciences and medicine.�� This marks a significant collaboration between Arizona and NASA in the fields of astrophysics and space science.

The ARB will also host clean rooms, laboratories as well as an “anechoic”—or echo-proof—chamber that will be ideal for sound-testing satellite communications apparatuses.�� Large bay labs on the facility’s north-facing edge will also be used for building high-altitude stratospheric balloons and nanosatellites, also known as “CubeSats.”�� In addition, the ARB features a testing facility to measure the durability of airplane wings and various other sensitive equipment.

SmithGroup and McCarthy commenced on the design-build process in the fall of 2019, with ground first broken for the ARB in June 2021.�� Among SmithGroup’s duties included not just architectural design but also fire protection and safety engineering, landscape planning, lighting design, and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering.�� Among the general contractors roles, McCarthy was tasked with ensuring covid-compliance as much of the work had to be undertaken as the pandemic continued to rage.�� Subcontractors on the job included Sextant, Colin Gordon, Comfort Systems, Sturgeon Electric, Dibble Corporation and Magnum Paving.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Cantwell, UofA’s senior vice president for research and innovation, said that the ARB displays Arizona’s commitment to scientific inquiry and the ongoing development of space exploration capabilities.

“These are high-impact fields which not only touch, but drive forth, several aspects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Cantwell said.�� “Applied research capabilities and outcomes will be augmented with state-of-the-art equipment and technology and several interdisciplinary university programs working together under one roof.”

“Befitting the cutting-edge work occurring within, the new ARB is a space-age marvel,” said Mark Kranz, design director at SmithGroup.�� “Radical in design, the building itself is a highly calibrated machine, uniquely suited to house complex and sensitive research demands with optimal performance in its desert environment.

Added Antonya Williams, executive vice president of McCarthy’s Education Group: “The University of Arizona has been a leader in design-build, and this project is a great example of how the process brings a vision to life and provides the community that it serves a facility that will achieve remarkable things.

“We are grateful to have helped deliver this world-class project for the university and are thrilled that it will function to continue fostering a culture of collaboration for the campus and its researchers.”

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HOUSTON—SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms, has opened an office in Houston, its 17th location worldwide. This new office strengthens the company’s network of talent and expertise in Texas, deepening the firm’s long-standing commitment to the state. The Houston location also expands upon SmithGroup’s successful relationships with colleges and universities across Texas and more recent growth in the region’s healthcare industry.

SmithGroup’s Houston office will be led by Jay Rambo, who also serves as director of the firm’s Dallas location. “While SmithGroup has been working on projects in Houston for 15 years and Texas for over 60 years, we could not be more thrilled to be officially expanding our presence in one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country,” said Rambo. “As an integrated design firm, we bring a unique blend of higher education, science and technology and healthcare expertise ideally matched to Houston’s market opportunities.”

Clint Menefee, SmithGroup’s Higher Education studio leader in Texas, will also serve as a key member of the Houston leadership team.

“In recent years, we have been honored to collaborate on several of Houston’s most impactful projects in Higher Education and look forward to fostering deeper connections with the educational needs of the region,” said Menefee. “Our team in Texas is excited to continue our expansion and further our mission to design inspiring learning environments at all scales, from campus to classroom, with a particular emphasis on environments for the health sciences, STEM and recreation and wellness.”

SmithGroup has extensive experience creating innovative design solutions for higher education institutions throughout Texas, including the Gulf Coast region. The firm recently designed and completed the University of Houston-Clear Lake Recreation and Wellness Center; the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) STEM Building; and the master plan and first academic building for the new University of Houston at Katy campus. In addition to built work, higher education projects currently underway include the UHV Health & Wellness Center; University of Houston-Downtown Student Wellness and Success Center; and Texas A&M University South Campus Recreation Center.

SmithGroup’s Houston office is located at 1801 Main Street, Suite 13.

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