All kinds of unique places of learning have been in development throughout Indiana lately, some of them directly intended to serve the workforce needs of major employers. Almost every college, university, and public school corporation is undertaking multimillion dollar construction projects to help them prepare the next generation of students for their future careers.
We’ve gathered an assortment of highlights that have been announced over the last few months, several of which might be surprising. Check out all the construction that’s been happening in Hoosier ed.
Automotive Technology Center, Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis – $14M
Image from Ivy Tech.Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis officially opened the doors of its new $14 million, 59,000-square-foot Automotive Technology Center. The new facility was made possible through a variety of automotive and community partners.
In addition to learning the technological skills needed for today’s industry in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, students receive training in a variety of areas of expertise, including electrical systems, engine performance, transmissions, and much more.
The automotive program offers paid cooperative education opportunities with area industries and business. In fact, the program has 100% job placement from employers that view it as a direct pipeline for the types of employees they need. Roughly 300 students are enrolled currently and the new facility is expected to enable Ivy Tech to double enrollment.
Hammond Central High School, School City of Hammond – $100M
Image from School City of Hammond.School City of Hammond celebrated the opening of its new $100 million Hammond Central High School. Among the building’s many highlights, the third-floor library media center serves as the school's crown jewel, sitting directly in the center of the 340,000 square-foot building.
Clerestory windows along Hammond Central's spacious public corridors bring more natural light into the building. The school features more than 60 state-of-the-art classroom spaces. These spaces include science and art rooms, along with an open-concept Project Lead the Way classroom that allows for hands-on production areas.
The school’s new state-of-the-art Black Box Theater is the largest in the tri-state area. It offers 643 automated theatrical seats and an advanced stage model that provides enormous variety in performance capacity.
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame – $66M
Image from Notre Dame.The University of Notre Dame has begun construction on the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art with a planned completion in fall 2023. The new building will be an outward-facing structure, serving both as a gateway to the university and as a welcoming community partner.
Notre Dame’s art collection started in 1875 and has grown to include nearly 30,000 objects. Also, the museum will be surrounded by green spaces that will allow for the growth of the outdoor sculpture collection.
Designed as a 132,000-square-foot complex to be constructed in two phases, the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will greatly enhance exhibition and education spaces for the permanent collection. Phase one will encompass 70,000 square feet devoted to gallery and teaching spaces, a café and retail space.
New Academic Building, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology – $29M
Image from Rose-Hulman.Rose-Hulman’s New Academic Building is on track to become Indiana’s first construction project to earn WELL Certification for design and technology. WELL Certification is a pioneering building program established by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The performance-based system has criteria about a building’s air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind features that impact human health and well-being.
The 70,000-square-foot, $29 million building was opened just before the fall semester, with design, fabrication and rapid prototyping areas, classrooms, state-of-the-art chemistry and biochemistry laboratories, a food science research lab, and student-faculty collaborative workspaces.
After its grand opening, the new building’s operations will complete rigorous testing and a final evaluation by Green Business Certification Inc., a third-party certification body for WELL, to ensure all requirements are met.
Les Bois Hall, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College – $15M
Image from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.It’s been nearly 100 years since Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College opened a new residence hall, but now students have a brand new home in the $15 million Les Bois Hall. The structure is a multi-use facility, featuring a new dining hall, a market, and bookstore.
The opening of Les Bois Hall adds another 92 beds to the more than 300 beds already on campus. The facility features suite-type rooms equipped with mini kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms. The new dining center will have a 150-person capacity and will be a hub for the campus community.
According to MKC Architects, the new hall was designed to be quickly manufactured in a series of repetitive units (rooms, bays, wings). This repetition allowed for a cost reduction and quicker construction.
SDI Center for Engineering and Computing, Trine University – $12.5M
Image from Trine.Trine University is in the midst of a $12.5 million engineering facility expansion, recently boosted by a $1.5 million gift from the Steel Dynamics Foundation. As a result, the new 40,000-square-foot expansion will be named the Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) Center for Engineering and Computing.
Designs for the $12.5 million project feature state-of-the-art technology, flexible labs and classrooms, an active learning lab with a maker space to foster creativity, and bright, open spaces for collaboration and conversation, including a new gathering point and cafe available to the entire campus. It is intended to become a focal point at the center of campus.
The expansion will help prepare skilled professionals in critical high-tech areas such as hardware and software development, computer networking, cybersecurity and health informatics.
Little Giant Stadium, Wabash College – $15M
Image from Wabash College.Wabash College celebrated the opening of its new Little Giants Stadium and Frank Navarro Field, the new home of the school’s football and track and field teams. The $15 million stadium is fully accessible and includes a main grandstand with seating for more than 3,500 fans. There are also new facilities for media, game operations, and coaching booths.
Athletes will play on a FieldTurf playing field and runners will use a Beynon all-weather track surface. The building also has a new and relocated scoreboard.
The new stadium will include four suites and the W Club Lounge on the second level, accessible via an elevator. Within the main concourse will be a Hall of Giants, which will pay tribute to Wabash’s accomplishments in intercollegiate athletics.
S. Witchger School of Engineering, Marian University – $65M
Image from Marian.Marian University leaders broke ground on the new E. S. Witchger School of Engineering, opening to its first class of students in fall 2022. The school will offer degrees in in biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering to prepare students to become engineering leaders with strong liberal arts competencies.
One of the school’s top priorities is to offer competitive scholarships to attract the diverse population needed for future engineers and graduate these students into high-need positions. Also, Marian University plans to continue its dual-degree option with Purdue University for students interested in specialty engineering programs.
