By Marianna Chara
These 50 stunning university buildings demonstrate that function and efficiency need not come at the expense of visual impact and appeal.
In developing this list, we looked for structures that reflect leadership in sustainability and also have significant visual impact. Many of these projects have earned a formal "green" rating from one agency or another, and most all of them have earned other coveted design awards.
At BestMastersDegrees.com, we believe that this emphasis on the part of a university shows outstanding long-term thinking and has the potential to enrich the lives of students and the surrounding community in profound ways.
We also looked for diversity in function, which is why we've included the likes of field research stations, schools of nursing, transportation centers, student recreation centers, residence halls, science and technology centers, and more.
We'd like to congratulate the institutions whose buildings made this list, and we hope these examples can be a source of inspiration for schools considering such projects in the future.
#50. University of Pittsburgh – Chevron Annex
Pittsburgh, PA
Architect: R3A, Wilson Architects
Cost: $24.6M
Square Feet: 32,000
Completed: 2011
Green: LEED Gold (2013)
Awards:
- SCUP/AIA–CAE 2012 – Excellence in Architecture for Building Additions or Adaptive Reuse, Honor Award
- AIA Pittsburgh 2012 – Excellence in Architecture, Honor Award
- Boston Society of Architects / BSA 2012 – Honor Award
#49. Mills College Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business
Oakland, CA
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Square Feet: 28,000
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Citation of Merit for Architectural Excellence, AIA Pennsylvania (2011)
- Notable Award, SERVE Category – International Interior Design Association, Northern California Chapter (2011)
- Green Good Design Awards – The European Center for Architecture and The Chicago Athenaeum (2011)
- Good Design is Good Business Awards – Architectural Record (2011)
#48. University of British Columbia – Sauder School of Business
British Columbia, Canada
Architect: Acton Ostry Architects
Cost: $70M
Square Feet: 216,000 existing + 55,000 new
Completed: 2012
Green: 2010 Sustainable Architecture & Building Canadian Green Building Award
Awards:
- 2011 Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture
- 2010 Canadian Interiors Best of Canada Award
- 2010 Vancouver Regional Construction Association Award of Excellence
#47. New York University – Department of Philosophy
New York, NY
Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Square Feet: 30,000
Completed: 2007
Green: Material and furnishings compliance and sourcing, low-e windows, cork tiles, limited construction/demolition waste
Awards:
- AIA New York Educations Design Award, USA, 2008
#46. Columbia University – Northwest Corner Building
New York, NY
Architect: José Rafael Moneo
Cost: $179M
Square Feet: 188,000
Green: USGBC LEED Gold (2013)
Awards:
- 2011 Engineering News-Record (ENR) NY Best Project Award in the category of Higher Education/Research
#45. Arizona State University – ISTB-4
Tempe, AZ
Architect: HDR Architecture Inc., Ehrlich Architects
Cost: $110M
Square Feet: 285,000
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- 2013 Best Education Project – Arizona Real Estate magazine, RED Awards
- 2012 Award of Merit, Higher Education/Research Category – ENR Southwest, Best Projects contest
- 2012 Excellence in Structural Engineering, New Buildings Over $10 Million – Structural Engineers Association of Arizona
#44. The New School – University Center
New York, NY
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Cost: $372M
Square Feet: 375,000
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Green Good Design Award – Chicago Athenaeum (2011)
#43. Boston University – Student Services Center
Boston, MA
Architect: Bruner/Cott
Cost: $48M
Square Feet: 122,000
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Build New England Honor Award (2013)
- American School & University, Bronze Award, Educational Interiors (2013)
- Illuminating Engineering Society, Regional Award for Excellence in Lighting Design (2013)
- Environmental Design & Construction Magazine, Excellence in Design Awards (2013)
- Learning by Design – Grand Prize, New Construction (2013)
#42. Brandeis University – Mandel Center for the Humanities
Waltham, MA
Architect: KMW Architecture
Cost: $20M
Square Feet: 36,600
Completed: 2010
Green: Targets USGBC LEED Gold Standards
#41. SUNY Oswego – Rice Creek Field Station
Oswego, NY
Architect: Cannon Design
Square Feet: 7,600
Completed: 2013
Green: Designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification
Awards:
- Merit Award – AIA Western New York
#40. Columbia University – Gary C. Comer Geochemistry Building
New York, NY
Architect: Payette
Cost: $32M
Square Feet: 70,000
Completed: 2008
Green: USGBC LEED Silver
Awards:
- Boston Society of Architects, Honor Award for Design Excellence (2010)
- IDID Excellence in Sustainable Design, Merit Award (2010)
- R&D Magazine, Lab of the Year (2009)
- SCUP/AIA-CAE, Excellence in Arch. for a New Bldg., Merit Award (2009)
- Boston Society of Architects, AIA/NY & EPA, Sustainable Design Award (2009)
- Boston Society of Architects, Higher Education Honor Award (2009)
- AIA Westchester/Mid-Hudson NY, High Honor/First Honor Award (2008)
#39. Barnard College – Diana Center
New York, NY
Architect: Weiss/Manfredi
Square Feet: 98,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture (2011)
- Progressive Architecture Award
#38. Westchester Community College – Gateway Center
New Rochelle, NY
Architect: Ennead Architects
Square Feet: 70,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- American Architecture Award, The Chicago Anthenaeum (2012)
- High Honor Award, AIA Westcehster/Hudson Valley (2011)
- Merit Award, AIA/New York Chapter (2011)
- Award of Excellence, Society of American Registered Architects/New York Council (2011)
- National Award, American Institute of Steel Construction (2011) IDEAS2 Award
- Metalmag Architectural Award (2011)
- Society of American Registered Architects, National Design Award (2011)
- Higher Education/Research Project of the Year, New York Construction Best of 2010
#37. California State University Chico – Wildcat Recreation Center
Chico, CA
Architect: Sasaki
Cost: $43M
Square Feet: 111,000
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Outstanding Sports Facilities Award, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association
- Innovative Architecture & Design Award, Recreation Management
- Honorable Mention for "High Res Impact," 3 Form Best Installation Contest
- Award of Merit: Higher Education/Research Category, ENR California Construction Best of 2010 Award, The McGraw-Hill Construction Magazine
#36. University of California, Davis – Student Health and Wellness Center
Davis, CA
Architect: WRNS Studio
Cost: $34M
Square Feet: 75,000
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- ENR California Award of Merit: Higher Education (2010)
#35. University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School – San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Architect: Gensler
Square Feet: 35,000
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
#34. University of Queensland – Global Change Institute
St. Lucia, Australia
Architect: HASSELL
Cost: $32M
Square Feet: 42,000
Completed: 2013
Awards:
- 2013 BPN Sustainability Awards – Winner – Best of the Best (product award for Suspended Geopolymer Concrete Floor Panels) – awarded to Bligh Tanner, Wagners and HASSELL
- 2013 BPN Sustainability Awards – Winner – Innovation of the Year (product award for Suspended Geopolymer Concrete Floor Panels) – awarded to Bligh Tanner, Wagners and HASSEL
#33. Western Michigan University – Sangren Hall
Kalamazoo, MI
Architect: SHW Group
Cost: $60M
Square Feet: 230,000
Completed: 2012
Green: Targeting USGBC LEED Gold certification
Awards:
- Honor Award – Detroit chapter of the American Institute of Architecture (2013)
#32. University of Pittsburgh – Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation
Pittsburgh, PA
Architect: EDGE Studio, Nbbj
Square Feet: 22,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Educational Facility Design Award – Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) (2012)
- AIA Columbus, Honor Award
- AIA Pittsburgh, Design Pittsburgh Award
#31. Arizona State University – College of Nursing
Phoenix, AZ
Architect: SmithGroup
Square Feet: 34,000
Completed: 2011
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Citation Award – American Institute of Architects (AIA), Arizona Chapter
- North American Copper in Architecture Award (NACIA) — New Construction – Copper Development Assoc./Canadian Copper & Brass Development Assoc.
- Award of Merit — Buildings & Structures: Institutional, Environmental Excellence Awards – Valley Forward Association
- Citation Award — APS Energy Award – American Institute of Architects (AIA), Arizona Chapter
- Honor Award – American Institute of Architects (AIA), Western Mountain Region
- Best Educational Project, RED Awards (Arizona Real Estate Development Awards) – AZRE | Arizona Commercial Real Estate
- Design Excellence — Education, PRIDE Awards
- International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Southwest Chapter
- First Place — Best Overall, Design Awards – Metal Architecture
- Honorable Mention — Wall Panel, Architectural Awards – MetalMag
#30. Rice University – McMurtry & Duncan Colleges
Houston, TX
Architect: Hopkins Architects with Hanbury Evand Wright Viattas + Company
Square Feet: 275,800
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- AIA Housing Award (2012)
#29. Central Oregon Community College – Science Center
Bend, OR
Architect: Yost Grube Hall
Square Feet: 45,000
Completed: 2012
Green: Earth Advantage Gold
Awards:
- Honor Award, Education Category, IIDA Portland Chapter
- Craftsmanship Award, AIA Portland Chapter
- National Institutional Winner, WoodWorks
#28. Leicester College – Abbey Park Campus
Leicester, UK
Architect: Bond Bryan Architects
Cost: $42M
Square Feet: 113,000
Completed: 2009
Green: Exceeds local sustainable building regulations
#27. Rice University – BioScience Research Collaborative
Houston, TX
This health and medical research facility incorporates air quality monitoring and a vegetative green roof. 75% of construction waste was recycled. Ground water from under the parking garage irrigates a nearby baseball field.
Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and FKP Architects
Square Feet: 480,000
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- Texas Society of Architects Design Award (2012)
#26. Clarkson University – Student Center
Potsdam, NY
Architect: Perkins + Will
Square Feet: 60,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Silver
Awards:
- Association of College Unions International (ACUI) Facility Design Award of Excellence
#25. University of Washington – Transportation Center
Seattle, WA
This rare LEED Platinum certified building includes bicycle storage and locker rooms with showers to encourage bicycle commuting, day lighting and smart light dimming, along with locally sourced building materials.
Architect: Rolluda Architects
Square Feet: 12,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Platinum
#24. Karolinska Institutet – Future Learning Environment
Solna, Sweden
Architect: Tengbom (Interiors)
Square Feet: 21,500
Completed: 2013
Green: Daylighting, indoor biowall, leverages previously underused space
#23. New Mexico Highlands University – Student Center
Las Vegas, NM
Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects
Square Feet: 70,000
Completed: 2013
Green: Targeting USGBC LEED Silver
#22. University of Amsterdam / VU University Amsterdam – Liberal Arts and Sciences College
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Architect: Mecanoo
Square Feet: 62,000
Completed: 2012
Green: Greencalc + score of 200
Awards:
- Amsterdam Architecture Prize 2013 (Golden A.A.P.)
#21. Cornell University – Human Ecology Building
Ithaca, NY
Architect: Gruzen Samton ⢠IBI Group
Square Feet: 89,000
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Platinum
Awards:
- College Planning & Management Grand Prize – Outstanding Design (2013)
#20. Salzburg University of Applied Sciences – Kuchl Campus
Kuchl, Austria
Architect: Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten
Square Feet: 108,000
Completed: 2009
Green: Passive House Standard
#19. University of Scranton – Loyola Science Center
Scranton, PA
Architect: EYP Architecture & Engineering
Cost: $78M
Square Feet: 166,000 (new construction)
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Silver
#18. Carnegie Mellon University – Gates and Hillman Centers
Pittsburgh, PA
Architect: Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects
Square Feet: 217,000
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award for Architecture (2012)
#17. University of California, Irvine – Medical Education Building
Irvine, CA
Another rare LEED Platinum certified building, this building is home to instructional spaces for surgery, emergency medicine and obstetrics, research labs, telemedicine, facilities, and administrative offices.
Architect: Mithun
Cost: $45M
Square Feet: 65,000
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Platinum
Awards:
- Overall Sustainable Design Award – Universities of California Energy Efficiency Partnership
#16. Yale University – Kroon Hall
New Haven, CT
Architect: Hopkins Architects with Centerbrook Architects and Planners
Cost: $33.5M
Square Feet: 56,467
Completed: 2009
Green: USGBC LEED Platinum
Awards:
- Excellence in Design Award, Environmental Design + Construction Magazine
- Building of the Year, Architects' Journal 100 Awards
- International Design Award, Royal Institute of British Architects
- Silver Award, American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts Excellence Awards, Connecticut
- More awards are listed here.
#15. Morgan State University – CBEIS
Baltimore, MD
Architect: The Freelon Group Architects
Cost: $54M
Square Feet: 124,800
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- AIA MD Public Building of the Year (2013)
- AIA North Carolina Merit Award (2012)
- AIA Baltimore Design Award, Sustainable Design (2012)
#14. Roosevelt University – Academic Center
Chicago, IL
Architect: VOA Associates
Square Feet: 420,000
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- AIA Chicago Designight SustainABILITY Honor Award
- Urban Land Institute – Global Award for Excellence (2013)
#13. Bastyr University – Student Village
Kenmore, WA
Architect: CollinsWoerman
Cost: $12M
Square Feet: 250,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC Platinum
Awards:
- Outstanding Multifamily Project – USGBC (2010)
- Northwest EcoBuilding Guild's Green Home Tour (2011)
#12. University of Arizona – Campus Recreation
Tucson, AZ
Architect: Sasaki
Cost: $22.7M
Square Feet: 54,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Platinum
Awards:
- Excellence in Structural Engineerings Award, State of Arizona-Structural Engineering Association
- IDEAS Award, National Certificate of Recognition-American Institute of Steel Construction
- Merit Award – Orange County Chapter-American Institute of Architects
#11. Clemson University – Lee Hall
Clemson, SC
Architect: Thomas Phifer and Partners
Square Feet: 55,000
Completed: 2012
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- AIA Honor Award
#10. Oberlin College – Bertram and Judith Kohl Building
Oberlin, OH
Architect: Westlake Reed Leskosky
Square Feet: 37,000
Completed: 2010
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
Awards:
- AIA Western Mountain Region Honor Award
- AIA Ohio Design Awards
- AIA Cleveland Design Awards
#9. University of North Florida – Biological Sciences Building
Jacksonville, FL
Architect: Perkins + Will / Harvard Jolly Architecture
Cost: $40.5M
Square Feet: 116,500
Completed: 2011
Green: USGBC LEED Gold
#8. Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication
London, UK
Architect: Foreign Office Architectrs
Square Feet: 183,000
Completed: 2010
Awards:
- Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award
#7. University of Nottingham – Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies
Ningbo, China
Architect: MCA Architects
Square Feet: 14,000
Completed: 2008
Green: MIPIM Green Building Award (2009)
#6. Arizona State University – Biodesign Building B
Phoenix, AZ
Architect: Gould Evans Associates and Lord, Aeck & Sargent
Cost: $78.5M
Square Feet: 175,000
Completed: 2006
Green: USGBC LEED Platinum
Awards:
- Aon Build America Award (2007)
#5. American University of Beirut – Charles Hostler Student Center
Beirut, Lebanon
Architect: VJAA; Samir Khairallah & Partners (associate)
Cost: $30M
Square Feet: 204,000
Completed: 2008
Green: COTE Top Ten Green Projects (2009)
Awards:
- American Institute of Architects (AIA) Institute Honor Awards for Architecture (2009)
#4. La Trobe University – Institute for Molecular Science
Bundoora, Australia
Characterized by a distinct honeycomb facade, this Lyons-designed building is home to La Trobe University's Institute for Molecular Science. It features extensive natural lighting and open collaborative areas for students and researchers.
Architect: Lyons Architects
Cost: $97M
Green: 5-star rating from Green Building Council of Australia using Education Tool Version 1
#3. Nanyang Technical University – School of Art, Design and Media
Singapore
Architect: CPG Consultants
Cost: $36M
Square Feet: 215,000
Completed: 2009
Green: Green Mark Platinum Award – Building and Construction Authority (BCA)
Awards:
- USA School Construction News (DesignShare) Awards 2007 (Honour)
#2. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Square Feet: 27 Buildings, 5.5 Million Square feet
Completed:
Green: LEED Platinum
Awards:
- AIA/ALA – Library Building Award
- AIA Chicago – Design Excellence Awards – SustainABILITY Leadership Award – Citation of Merit
- AIA Committee on the Environment – Top 10 Green Projects
- More awards listed here.
#1. EWHA Womans University
Seoul, South Korea
Architect: Dominique Perrault Architecture
Square Feet: 750,000
Completed: 2008
Green: Good Green Design, Environment/Landscape Architecture Award (2009)
Awards:
- Afex Prize (2010)
- Seoul Metropolitan Architecture Award (2008), First Prize
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