25 Most Futuristic U.S. Colleges and Universities

One of the most challenging tasks for higher education leaders is the need to innovate continually and become one of the most modern colleges to attract and motivate students. Today, colleges and universities must keep up with technology’s evolution because the higher education sector is very competitive.

Whether it is facilitating a better program for faculty retention, developing student services, or building new research facilities, academic leaders must think of innovative solutions to deliver quality education and sustain the many aspects of its business!

Creating futuristic educational structures, incorporating high-end research facilities, and constructing sustainable classrooms, are some of the common innovation projects that university leaders implement on their respective campuses.

Today’s generation of college students looks forward to attending technologically advanced universities. Students are attracted to campuses with ultramodern residence and dining halls, dynamic classroom designs, and modern recreation facilities. Sustainable features all over the school play a significant impact on their choice of school. For them, the ultimate college experience is to live and learn on campus with low carbon footprints.

• The Role of Innovation in Higher Education
• Advantages of College Campus Innovation

The Role of Innovation in Higher Education

To maintain a competitive edge and attract the smartest students, researchers, faculty, and aspiring entrepreneurs, higher education institutions are spending a huge amount of money constructing neoteric buildings to highlight the quality of their education, particularly STEM-related programs.

At present, architects find it extremely challenging to design and build research facilities because they must keep up with the abrupt changes in research and science. The majority of colleges and universities are placing science and technology at the vanguard of their campuses and are utilizing their cutting-edge facilities as recruitment strategies. Several schools have lined up renovation projects because the administration felt the need to eliminate the old structures that still exemplify yesteryears’ science. 

These upgrades require an insane amount of funds. But then again, this is a valuable investment that will yield long-term benefits for the school, students, and the local community. To be identified as one of the most innovative universities in the country is already an excellent selling point for future students and stakeholders.

Advantages of College Campus Innovation

To support the goal of attracting the brightest students, academic leaders have partnered with world-renowned architects and designers to create a building plan that will demonstrate the school’s mission while meeting their needs.

For students to experience the school’s support, campuses should have spaces that will allow them to thrive. Hence, designers have created areas that will accommodate different services and event options. The main objective is to eliminate all barriers to learning that are present in the existing floorplan.

Furthermore, a welcoming design of residence halls and student unions will also entice students to campus. These facilities work like magnets if they have areas for informal meetups, relaxation, and learning. Campus designs that have sticky spaces, quiet rooms, and outdoor courtyards encourage high levels of socialization.

Building a campus with sustainable features is one of the popular trends in most college construction projects. Not only will it attract students, but the school is also doing good for the environment. The initial investment is considerably high but it has long-term benefits that outweigh the costs. Thus, every college and university are gradually upgrading their campuses to address sustainability issues.

Innovation is imperative for higher education institutions. With students’ ever-changing demands, academic leaders have to think of innovative ways to satisfy their needs. Creating a learning environment that will develop their full potential is an effective marketing strategy to attract students. Therefore, as education moves forward to a new age, innovation is always key to success, development, and sustainability.

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Check out our list of the 25 colleges and universities across America with the most mind-blowing futuristic design and features:

The New School

University Center

The New School of the University Center exemplifies innovation in its 375,000-square-foot high-rise building. Built during the 20th century, the director envisioned establishing a haven for the institution to exhibit its ideals. Today, the structure bears the design that powerfully addresses sustainability issues while also being named one of the most technologically advanced universities.

Since it is sitting within NYC’s vicinity, it is expected to use up huge amounts of resources. The need to control heat water consumption for washing, room temperatures, and water disposal is imperative. Hence, the LEED-Gold certified structure was formed with smart and usually concealed features that develop its efficiency.

The skyscraper holds three major sustainable-property undertakings to reduce carbon emissions relevant to energy consumption, decrease water usage, and snowball the portion of waste redirected away from landfills.

Inside the building operates various facilities like classrooms, studios, performance areas, dining space, gym, and living accommodations, all found in the basement levels. This is considered the University Center’s biggest structure, which tasks up roughly a quarter of its entire area.

Some of the sustainability-related functions of the property are not easily seen unless you intend to find them. Advanced lighting systems make use of sensors to change the light levels automatically. Its light shelves found on top of the windows provide light to the room through the perimeter’s reflection. Also, the automatic moving shades that are barely noticed by passersby lessen the glare.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

California Institute of Technology

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is the government’s research and development center run by the California Institute of Technology for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The lab helped create the first interplanetary spacecraft and dispatched robotic missions to scrutinize the solar systems and other relevant space elements. Furthermore, JPL is also responsible for running the global antennas system that relays communications to the interplanetary spacecraft, known as the Deep Space Network.

Some of the lab’s active ventures are the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Science Laboratory mission, the Juno space vehicle orbiting Jupiter, and the Spitzer Space telescope. 

From the substantial record of experts produced by the institute to collaboration projects and activities, the JPL’s analytical setting and reputation are radically developed by its role as part of the California Institute of Technology.

At present, the lab relentlessly pursues world-class innovation, developing programs in space exploration, space-related astronomy, technological innovations, and Earth science while utilizing its expertise on the nation’s scientific and technical issues. The lab’s technology incredibly helped implement new projects relevant to Earth and benefit lives.

Through the California Institute of Technology management, JPL positioned the U.S. to be the leader in space exploration and planetary science through groundbreaking revelations of the universe. 

Kendall Square

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Kendall Square houses the facilities and tech companies within the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This rapidly expanding technology hub will also be the new MIT Admissions Office.

MIT has responded to the demand for expansion in graduate student accommodation by commencing the Kendall Square project. This new venture will showcase a lively modern-day center and the latest location of the Admissions office.

The Site 4 project will involve incorporating two existing structures that will be upgraded to open the ground floor for retail businesses and the Admissions center on the second floor. The rest of the structure’s five upper stories will be renovated to accommodate the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub, offering communal areas for students, staff, and researchers. It is also the newest location of the school’s Innovation Initiative.

The project in Kendall Square is designed to develop a connection between the campus and Cambridge City. The ground floor will use floor-to-ceiling windows so activities inside can be visible to the public or aspiring MIT students. The other side’s massive space will exhibit a vibrant landscape, wider seats, and spacious sections for seasonal activities.

Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center

Northwestern University

With its vast glass facade and unhindered views of Lake Michigan, the Northwestern University’s Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center hold a mass of support services for student-athletes. The first-of-its-kind structure represents considerate convergence of design categories, performance health, marked environments, sports and recreation, and higher education. Through the contractors’ dedicated efforts, the school is perceived as one of the most innovative universities in the U.S.

The state-of-the-art building is found at the core of campus, together with laboratories, residence halls, and classrooms, providing a new venue for improved interaction among the student-athletes and the school community.

Walter Athletic Center is a four-story building that houses career development and academic support services for student-athletes, including a dining facility, a nutrition hub, sports performance centers, an advanced athletic training center, locker rooms, and sizable offices for coaches and administrators.

The Ryan Fieldhouse, primarily made of aluminum, glass, and limestone, is the new venue for practices and training for soccer, football, lacrosse, and other sports. The dome-shaped structure with high arches is also a recreation and event area for school activities and major programs. These two new buildings are connected, giving full access and convenience to everyone who plans to use the facilities.

These two facilities give a fascinating opportunity to optimize Lake Michigan’s breathtaking scenery and lead student-athletes back to the core of campus to a structure that underlines the relation of sports, wellness, and performance. 

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Yale University

Confined by a shell of stone, Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is known for its aggregate of one-of-a-kind manuscripts. The building is famous for its glassy marble exterior and the world-class glass book structure inside, an exceptional display stemming from the distinctive requirements for written artifacts. This eccentric design, leaning towards contemporary background but very opposite to the campus’s religious styles, has only received recognition over time. 

While designing the building, the light control of the library became a main concern for the architect. It is imperative to have the proper ambient lighting since it is a place for reading, but too much sun exposure can damage the well-preserved literary artifacts.

Thus, the architect used marble on its facade with a specific thickness to allow the appropriate amount of light to spread into the room without damaging the books. Looking at it from outside, the white marble with a hint of gray looks arctic and thick, but from inside, the sunrays make the stone glow with the amazing intensity of warmth.

There are two levels underneath the library, which hold the remaining collection of over 300,000 volumes and millions of manuscripts. These floors also house the workstations of the library like reading rooms, classrooms, and offices. Today, the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library steered Yale’s path towards becoming one of the country’s most technologically advanced universities.

Cadet Chapel

U.S. Air Force Academy

The astonishing Cadet Chapel of the U.S. Air Force Academy showcases a progression of glasses and aluminum steeples surrounding the top level. Perpetual stained glass panels clad the tetrahedrons, allowing the light to spread inside the area.

This skyscraper is located on a platform next to the Court of Honor. There are chapels found in this property–the Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant. These religious sections have their entrances. The Protestant Chapel is built on the first floor, circled by tetrahedrons covered in aluminum, and has laminated glass windows.

On the other hand, the Catholic Chapel found on the terrace level represents preshaped stonework making the ceiling design, with walls made of amber glass. The circle-shaped Jewish Chapel is confined in slabs with glass stains and cypress frames. One floor is designated for massive all-religion space and the area for meetings.

The USAFA’s Cadet Chapel is a figure of contemporaneity, an iconic religious structure that received recognition as the U.S. National Historic Landmark in 2004. 

Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology

University of Pennsylvania

The Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology is poised at the University of Pennsylvania’s new entrance to Walnut Street. This structure changed the dull aura of the avenue to a quintessential and welcoming threshold, showcasing the campus’ intellectual energy.

The iconic building will indicate the school’s existence in the University City and underline Penn as the worldwide leader in academics and research. Its landscape and structure will deliver a refined transition to the academic setting and commemorate its dedication to the West Philadelphia community.

Laboratory structures are built in the main corridor to provide ample space for public use. The Center of Nanotechnology situates the labs circling the central quadrangle, spreading the Sciences to the campus landscape, and giving a new open area for meetups.

This center is a crucial move toward steering Penn’s leadership in the emerging nanotechnology sector. It houses world-class laboratories that include the Chase Cleanroom, Laboratory Modules, and Characterization Suite. Communal spaces such as the public Galleria, multi-purpose Forum area, and conference rooms are all housed in the center.

The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and School of Arts and Science converge into the Center for Nanotechnology.

Lee Hall Complex

Clemson University

The massive studious unite the students of architecture and arts in the Lee Hall College of Architecture’s latest building at Clemson University. This structure holds students from various degree programs in construction science, art, architecture, and landscape architecture.

The project’s outcome became the primary principle that created the bedrock for interdisciplinary education at Lee Hall.

The building design integrates different departments.

The rooms on the first level feature coated dividers to offer views of the different areas. There are mezzanines as well.

Natural light is diffused inside through the massive doughnut-formed skylights, while the elevations found at the north and south allow students to see the rest of the campus. When students require a bigger space to create big-scale mockups, they can go to the terrace located on the north side of Lee Hall.

Emerson College Los Angeles

Emerson College Los Angeles (ELA) campus brings together the student accommodation, administrative offices, and academic facilities into a single urban location. Eliciting East-coast centers’ vibrancy in an emblematic L.A. vibe, this structure promotes a strong connection between the student’s educational background and their career aspirations.

Necessary to the ELA experience, student accommodations provide a framework for the entire structure. The building holds more than 200 students. The domestic areas form an energetic core devoted to learning, innovation, and social interaction.

The campus has two slim residential skyscrapers connected by a multi-purpose platform. The classrooms and offices are enveloped by a sculpted form that interlaces through space, marking off the terraces and open areas that invite informal meetings. The student and communal rooms’ exterior corridors are sheltered by a metal scrim that stretches across the full height of the building.

The campus’s interiors appear similar to Hollywood film studios, where the exteriors have ordinary facades and striking spaces inside. Also, the property sometimes serves as the venue for industry events, screenings, and student films.

Academic Support Center

Miami Dade College

The Academic Support Center of Miami Dade College converges the academic and administrative offices into a single building. This towering structure is the center of all Student Services divisions for the entire student community. It houses classrooms, resource and training centers, and admissions offices.

In line with the college’s mission of prioritizing student engagement, the main atrium is designated to the student body. The area develops the current student life by keeping all study, lounging, and campus information projects in the atrium.

This project acts as a learning source that will help Miami Dade College to meet its Learning Outcomes. One of which is to define how natural systems work and identify the people’s impact on the environment. The area has outdoor learning zones, where one is surrounding a dry building that seasonally adapts to stormwater. 

Tinkham Veale University Center

Case Western Reserve University

Found in the middle of three distinct zones at Case Western Reserve University, the latest university center holds student activity areas, dining spaces, function rooms, and student organization offices. It highlights three wings meant to foster students’ collaboration from the three separate campus zones and act as the meeting point to unite the entire school community.

The location is right beside the vast open field found on top of a two-story underground car park. Its roof design followed a folded green plate sticking out of the structure with coated walls underneath that open to the outdoor scenery. Found at the intersection of the wings is a double-height meeting space connecting the center’s two floors. A tall double-glazed wall wraps around this area and opens to the field’s view. A bit further is an art museum.

Austin Community College San Gabriel Campus

Austin Community College District responded to the burgeoning expansion of North Austin by acquiring a 100-acre area to resolve the local community’s future academic demands. The new San Gabriel Campus is expected to accommodate 12,000 students.

Dubbed as the campus in a box, phase one involves modifying the ranchland to an urban campus found at the heart of a rising transit-oriented development. The multi-level academic structure bears a progressive design for easy transformation should the campus require expansion for new programs in the future.

Next to the rail station are bike trails and highways. Different transportation modes emphasize a safe and pedestrian-friendly school. Limestone masonry and rusted metal were some of the building materials used to reinforce the facility.

The building is designed to highlight Austin Community College’s Sustainability Initiative with its LEED Gold Certification. The school also showcases impressive ultramodern LED lighting, HVAC and controls, and a rooftop photovoltaic power station. The college actively regulates its energy consumption.

The school also considers water as an essential resource, so stormwater is treated in various innovative measures. The rain gardens, integrating the landscape and courtyard, show the extinct Monarch butterfly and its migratory behavior.

S. R. Crown Hall

Illinois Institute Of Technology

S.R. Crown Hall holds the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture in Chicago, Illinois.

It is known as the late Mies van Der Rohe’s tour de force and significant creations in architecture during the 20th Century Modernist movement. This building applied the glass and basic steel construction and refined it. Hence, it was considered to be architecturally outstanding. The designer focused on highlighting the structure’s vastness and simplicity; that’s why his masterpiece stood out. 

The two-story property has a solid rectangular shape, covering a vast interior space on the top level found above the sunken lower floor. The school’s design was inspired by Van Der Rohe’s other work of art, the Cantor Drive-in Restaurant. 

Crown Hall strongly exhibited the beauty of industrial simplicity, with uniquely articulated steel frame building. The glass facade encloses the open area, which provides a view of the upper floor’s interiors. There are segregated rooms at the lower level, while a glass-covered architecture studio, also called the universal space, is built on the top story.

After its completion, Crown Hall was declared by Van er Rohe as the clearest building made, which powerfully expressed his philosophy.

Joe & Rika Mansueto Library

University of Chicago

While designing the Joe & Rika Mansueto Library of the University of Chicago, storing more than 3 million books in an Automated Storage and Retrieval System became the architect’s main concern. The initial suggestion was to put them in a meticulously designed box. The books are located at a lower level, thereby transforming the reading room and the preservation department into the most inviting space in the building!

The new book storage is a controlled environment, making it easy to maintain with the right temperature and humidity levels—crucial for storing and preserving literary artifacts. Communal areas are found within the elliptical glass dome.

The design concept was embraced by the university’s leadership, which perfectly aligns with its mission to be the catalyst for the development of knowledge. This was an interesting thought since it happened in a school where engineering and architecture were not offered.

Following the design’s approval, other elements were integrated into the process, such as lighting, structure, sustainability and comfort, safety, and maintenance and operation. Ultimately, students will enjoy the benefits of a place that is modern and conducive for study.

Browning Hall Interdisciplinary Science Building

Webster University

Healthcare has become an increasingly dominant industry. Website University acknowledges this fact and therefore dedicates its Browning Hall construction to interdisciplinary science.

It used to be recognized as an arts-centered school. Browning Hall increased the number of laboratories and pulled out science research from the confined and windowless underground to allow students to explore. According to the university provost, Julian Schuster, creating a huge four-story building in the school’s exclusive scale of existing properties needed thorough deliberation. This project steers the school to the future of science education and assists the state in matching up the demand for more graduates with a science-related credential.

The structure leads to the university’s center with its size and shape, augmenting the existing building design. The Browning Hall combines ten disciplines from social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, and humanities to challenge the conventional interdisciplinary building concept.

Browning Hall promotes comprehensive thinking and combined research approaches to support discoveries for education and research through the integration of these disciplines. Furthermore, it allows the faculty to teach various disciplines in the same location.

The open-access feature of the laboratory allows students, faculty, and passersby to glimpse the building’s interiors and the activities that occur inside. The public can witness the collaboration of industry partners and students working on different industry-related projects.

Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library

University of California, Berkeley

The University of California’s Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library holds the most extensive collection of original music and rare manuscripts on the West Coast. In 1998, the school administration approved a new music library at one of the sides of the Arts Quadrangle.

Today, the Music Library symbolically completes the Music Department’s three interests: research, teaching, and performance. It is also an environmentally delicate endeavor that complies with the directive of the University of California System and surpasses the state’s energy requirements.

Special windows and sun-shielding louvers were installed to minimize solar heat absorption. A highly efficient lighting technology was utilized to provide the appropriate light inside and to the surrounding pathways. These techniques incredibly minimized the library’s electric consumption and pertinent costs, while boosting the building design and its role to the environment.

Hunt Library

North Carolina State University

The Hunt Library is designed to meet an environment that supports advanced learning highlights the importance of open spaces for intellectual stimulation. The vast open areas link all library levels while the open staircases emphasize a synergistic and social atmosphere next to study sections.

The high-end experimental laboratories and various study and learning centers are an impressive upgrade to the conventional study spaces. The colorful learning sections and dynamic fixtures sit next to traditional study areas.

Natural light fills up the Hunt Library with minimal heat, thanks to the aluminum shading technology. Students enjoy the lovely view of the lake from the inside or enjoy the outdoor seating areas.

Making this library a real standout is its bookBot, an automated retrieval system that stores millions of volumes and optimizes the space for shared learning environments.

Loyola Information Commons

Loyola University

The Loyola Information Commons, Loyola University’s iconic library, gathers the student community to witness Lake Michigan’s breathtaking views and enjoy the open daylight atmosphere. The structure has integrated computer technology and modern building facilities that present a flexible and open design to mark a new university architecture era that stresses student collaboration and resource preservation.

The design’s primary influence was from the school’s dedication to injecting modern sustainable materials. During the construction, the architect performed climate analysis to assess the external condition to maximize the use of the natural environment to produce heat and coolness for the building. From the result of their analysis, they made an incorporated facade and mechanical design to reduce the heat from the sun. Every facade was assessed and had different plans to meet the specific orientation to the sun.

The most sustainable method applied is natural resources to produce the thermal heat required inside the building. Once this technique happens, a top-of-the-line automation system, with the heat produced from the external weather facility, is slated to open the windows in the west and east exteriors automatically. And while these windows are open, the fresh air from the lake will provide coolness inside. 

The horizontal blinds that follow the sun’s movement during the day shield the interiors from too much heat while welcoming the natural light to brighten the wide-open space. To match the library’s original program is an equally inventive perspective to structural and mechanical systems, using computerized technologies to achieve sustainability.

Henry Madden Library

California State University

The new design of Henry Madden Library of California State University supplied modern solutions to its limited capacity for its abruptly increasing collections. Architects wanted to build a library of the future that will merge the students and the local community.

Aside from providing a learning experience to the school community, the new Madden Library is a place that holds multiple special sections. One area accommodates a giant translucent sculpture at the entryway that portrays a powerful image and marks the building’s source of organization. The place has a massive open floor layout with several seating sections that include hidden areas for users to enjoy peaceful reading and studying and built-in chairs on the huge staircase.

Other innovative technologies used are microchip book tracing, a high-tech database for cataloging, and portable stacks that make space for the continuous expansion of the collections. Henry Madden Library became a striking landmark that conveyed the school’s plan and forms the university’s future. The incorporation of high-end technology and conventional library standards has created a facility that can influence architects in drafting their future library designs.

Moody Center for the Arts

Rice University

The interior of Moody Center for the Arts at Rice University gives out a sense of possibility and transparency. The activities happening in different areas inside can be seen through the broad and deep in-between spaces. The exhibition areas feature the artistic flair of Rice students. Moody’s massive amphitheater is excellent for gatherings and social meetups.

The focus on openness can be seen on the structure’s exterior, with tall glass installed mostly on the first level. The huge picture windows accentuate the brick facade in an energetic pattern and give light into the open spaces inside. The new Arts Center pays homage to the progressive vision of the historically rich university.

The Bloomberg Center

Cornell University

The Bloomberg Center, the tech hub of learning of Cornell University, stands tall below a photovoltaic canopy that has astonishing views of the other side of the island. One of the building’s unique features is the facade, developed to stabilize the openness–taking advantage of natural light, the scenery outside, and coverage–making use of the insulation to lessen thermal bridging.

Its outer layer of the exterior consists of aluminum panels covered with a specialized coating. Looking from a distance, the panels look like a connected image that links the river’s view from the school’s Roosevelt Island location and its campus in Ithaca. On its west side, facing towards the city, Bloomberg Center exhibits the Manhattan skyline view, while its east facade shows Ithaca’s famous gorges.

According to its project contractors, the school’s collaboration with MIT students to create Bloomberg’s facade exemplifies the institution’s relationships between tech companies and Cornell Tech. Their objective is to demonstrate that making a zero-energy building design is an opportunity to create a more comfortable place for its inhabitants. The school’s commitment to sustainability is the core of its mission. 

Mori Hosseini Student Union

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

The elegance of flying birds influences the design of the Mori Hosseini Student Union. It carries out its mission to teach students about the world of aerospace and aviation. The structure, located at the school entrance, features a subtle-flying form symbolic of the university’s vision for discovery, fearlessness, and adventure.

Inside the building holds various sections for social learning, dining, events, and library, purposely designed to create an implicit city atmosphere within a city. Student lounge areas, dining spaces, and food courts are all confined at the first level.

Offices for clubs and organizations, computer laboratories, study rooms, and classrooms are held on top floors. Also on the upper floor is the library that is built underneath an arching skylight. Students can have a glimpse of the Daytona International Airport when they visit the second level’s roof terrace. Students manage the Student Union and are available 24/7 to provide a venue for learning, relaxation, and unwinding.

E.J. Ourso College of Business

Louisiana State University

The E.J.Ourso College of Business complex of Louisiana State University embodies the school’s mission of business innovation. The school belongs to the list of one of the most technologically advanced universities. The structure mainly used glass and steel to create an academic center for business education.

Arrangement of the building and courtyard brings back the inclined roof pavilions and cloistered courtyard of the nearby historic campus. However, these primitive architectural shapes are made of modern materials and elements to display a progressive facade representing the school’s mission to promote business innovation in the local community.

The complex has tiered classrooms, an auditorium, team spaces, a mock trading area, and department offices. Surrounding the courtyard are offices and teaching areas, with which a rotunda sits at its front. Business centers, classrooms, and offices are circling the multi-level business commons.

Specialized glass technologies were installed in different parts of the structure. A custom bronze screen that acts as an arch motif encloses the west and south sides of the rotunda. This arch motif remembers the school’s cherished campus galleries. The screen is made to protect the glass rotunda from heat gain.

The complex promotes top-notch learning and teaching experiences and accommodates all undergraduates, graduates, business functions, and executive education.

Perry World House

University of Pennsylvania

Perry World House is the University of Pennsylvania’s latest building for global engagement, open to faculty from the other schools under UPenn’s system to conduct international affairs. Its interior has classrooms, meeting areas, offices, conference rooms, and communal spaces designed to foster interaction. A glass-covered atrium, found at the center, serves as a multi-purpose activity area that can host seminars, lectures, and special functions.

The building’s outdoor space is used for social gatherings to maximize the open spaces surrounding the structure. Targeting for LEED Silver certification and belonging to the list of most innovative universities, the construction included several sustainable features in its high-tech equipment such as the ample use of natural light, stormwater capture, energy-saving fixtures, and recyclable materials. 

As the architect would put it, they’ve made an environment full of natural light where various perspectives can be discussed in different areas. The transparency of open spaces underpins the collaboration between different global perspectives and academic disciplines. 

Perry World House is built to present a strong purpose while projecting a comfortable and welcoming image. Its primary facade conveys the school’s intention to preserve its past and embrace its future, all at once in one building.

Screaming Eagles Arena

University of Southern Indiana

Screaming Eagles Arena is a significant addition to the University of Southern Indiana campus that boosts student-athlete experiences, enhances athletic and academic programs, and gears the school to recruit top athletes.

Very artistic and deliberately communal in its plan, this arena illustrates an exciting trend in the transformation of college sports complexes. This structure goes beyond hosting an athletic competition. It also acts as a catalyst for molding the university’s culture on campus. Texture, light, and geometry are primary features present in the building’s creative design.

To brighten the space, the building used clear glazing for the pedestrian to witness different athletic activities happening inside. The north facade of the building is raised to let the natural light in, while the glass installed on the south side is held down to reduce the glare. Different geometry is incorporated in the arena’s blueprint to make winning architecture for the campus.

The school colors play a huge role in forming student experience and ushering them through the arena. The red hue extends to the ceiling, floor, and walls to visually impact and complement the seating area. Circling the court are designated spaces for alumni of the varsity club. This special seating improves the arena’s functionality since the space can be changed into a learning area on regular days. Students can use the room as one huge space or divide it into three separate areas for lectures.

According to the USI athletic director, this is a significant university project because it gives new life, facilities, and opportunity to the entire organization. They aim to provide the ultimate experience to athletes, staff, visitors, and students through their artistic design.