By Frank André, AIA, LEED AP

In recent decades, professional sports development has shifted toward transforming underutilized land around stadiums into mixed-use entertainment districts. Projects like Ballpark Village in St. Louis and the Half Street Corridor in Washington illustrate how these developments extend the fan experience beyond game day while creating connected, year-round neighborhoods. By integrating retail, hospitality, residential and event programming, they generate sustained revenue and strengthen ties to the surrounding urban fabric.

Universities, on the other hand, have traditionally relied on more limited revenue streams: ticket sales, concessions, sponsorships and media rights concentrated around game day. With the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) rules, which now direct a share of revenue to athletes, institutions face increasing pressure to diversify income. In response, many are turning to their own athletic districts, adapting strategies pioneered in professional sports development.

The Possibilities in Public-Private Partnerships

A key lesson lies in deal structure. Public universities often control significant land holdings around stadiums and benefit from large, loyal fan bases. However, they typically lack both the capital and the specialized development expertise to fully realize these assets. Through public-private partnerships (P3), institutions partner with developers that are experienced in entertainment retail, hospitality, housing and event venues. These P3 models allow universities to leverage long-term ground leases and brand value while shifting development risk and capital investment to private partners.

Purposeful Programming

While university-anchored districts share core principles with their professional counterparts, critical differences in governance, funding, and campus context ultimately shape how these environments are designed and programmed.

Designing successful university-anchored sports districts begins with a careful balance of programming. Unlike professional baseball, where teams host more than 80 home games a season, college football programs typically play just six or seven home games. The result is fewer peak moments and less consistent spillover into surrounding neighborhoods. These districts must therefore operate as destinations in their own right; active year-round, not just on game day.

Flexibility is key. Restaurants, for example, often carry subtle university branding but must stand on their own with distinctive concepts that appeal to both fans and locals. Outdoor spaces are equally adaptable: a central plaza might function as a casual recreation space or outdoor dining during the week but transform into a concert venue or event hub on game days and beyond. Residential and hospitality components also take on a unique role, with premium units oriented toward stadium views and VIP game-day access. Condominiums designed for dedicated fans and super-boosters can generate significant upfront capital, while also extending dwell time and deepening engagement with the district.

These dynamics are amplified at major programs, particularly among the Power Four conferences, where football crowds can exceed 100,000 attendees. The scale of these fan bases reinforces the need for environments that can expand and contract seamlessly, accommodating surges in activity while remaining vibrant at smaller scales.

Sponsorship and branding strategies also diverge from the professional model. While large-scale signage and digital media are central to revenue generation in pro sports districts, universities often take a more restrained approach. Instead, activation is driven through programming: youth camps, recruiting events, academic conferences, and media production tied to NIL initiatives and other creative event programming all contribute to a steady cadence of use. These layers of activity create a different kind of energy — less overtly commercial, but equally vital.

Developing a Design Identity

From a design perspective, the challenge is both familiar and highly specific. Many of these sites lack historic context, sitting adjacent to large, inward-focused stadiums. At the same time, they are shaped by overlapping campus and municipal guidelines and must serve a wide spectrum of users — from students and faculty to alumni, donors and local residents. Successful solutions balance these demands while grounding the project in authentic institutional and regional identity.

At the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, a site just south of Neyland Stadium presented a telling example. While the stadium dominates the immediate context, the site also opens to sweeping views of the Tennessee River to the south. The design response drew from campus design standards — materials, proportions and detailing — while referencing the industrial and mercantile heritage that once lined the riverfront. This dual approach anchored the development in both university tradition and local history, allowing taller elements, such as a condotel tower, to adopt a more contemporary expression while remaining visually tied to a lower-scale, contextually rooted base.

Ultimately, these districts succeed when design storytelling is embedded at every level. Architecture, interiors, landscape, branding, and programming must all work together to reflect the traditions, rituals and character of the school, while resonating with the broader region. Given the diversity of users, from high-end condominium owners to fans gathering before and after the game, this narrative must be both cohesive and flexible. Achieving that balance requires close collaboration across disciplines, ensuring that the district evolves into a place that feels authentic, active and enduring well beyond the stadium gates.

Frank André, AIA, LEED AP, is Principal and Design Leader at HCM.

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By Catherine Dalton, AIA, RID, LEED AP BD+C

When elementary and middle schools in the Seagoville, Texas, area began experiencing overcrowding, the Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) faced a familiar dilemma: build more classrooms or rethink the system creating the pressure.

The district chose the latter.

Educational innovation is often associated with new programs, emerging technologies or specialized learning environments. Yet some of the most impactful innovations occur when planning, policy and design are intentionally aligned to solve complex challenges.

The resulting Seagoville PK-8 Campus Magnet Model demonstrates how districts can create long-term solutions that extend far beyond building another school. By aligning facility planning, enrollment strategy, and educational programming, Dallas ISD addressed overcrowding while expanding educational opportunities and supporting future community growth.

Framing the Challenge

As the second-largest school district in Texas, Dallas ISD serves more than 134,000 students and roughly 21,000 professional staff across 228 schools, including 135 elementary schools, 35 middle schools, 36 high schools and 22 multi-level schools.

As enrollment projections climbed, elementary and middle schools within the Seagoville feeder pattern began experiencing capacity challenges. At the same time, district leaders recognized another opportunity: expanding access to school choice programming in a region that historically had fewer magnet options than other parts of the district.

Rather than viewing these as separate challenges, Dallas ISD asked a broader question: how could one project simultaneously address overcrowding, expand educational opportunity and support long-term community growth?

Looking Beyond Capacity

Overcrowding is often treated as a space problem. Typical responses may involve adding classrooms, installing portable buildings, adjusting attendance boundaries or constructing another campus. While these solutions can provide immediate relief, they do not always address the underlying system that is driving enrollment pressures.

The most successful districts recognize that capacity planning should not happen in isolation. Facility decisions influence enrollment patterns. Enrollment policies influence access. Grade configurations influence student experience. Community demographics influence all of the above.

When these decisions are considered together, new possibilities emerge. For Dallas ISD, that meant rethinking not only where students would learn, but how the district could create a more flexible and resilient educational model for the future.

The Power of the PK-8 Model

The district ultimately selected a PK-8 configuration to relieve enrollment pressure across multiple grade bands simultaneously. The value of the model extends beyond capacity management.

Districts across the country have increasingly explored PK-8 configurations for their ability to improve continuity, reduce transitional disruptions and provide greater operational flexibility.

From a student perspective, a PK-8 campus provides continuity during critical developmental years, reducing transitions and fostering stronger relationships among students, staff and families. From a district perspective, it creates greater flexibility for managing growth across elementary and middle-school grades. From a community perspective, it strengthens identity and connection by allowing families to remain within a single learning environment for a longer period of time.

Most importantly, the building becomes a tool for implementing a broader vision.

The new Seagoville PK-8 is a 118,000-square-foot, two-story campus designed to serve 800 students from Pre-K through eighth grade. The school includes STEM, language and makerspaces; science laboratories; fine-arts programs; collaborative learning environments; and flexible instructional spaces that support a wide range of educational experiences.

When Enrollment Strategy Becomes a Planning Tool

One of the most innovative aspects of the project is that the solution extends beyond the building itself.

By prioritizing enrollment opportunities for students living closest to the campus, Dallas ISD created a direct mechanism for relieving pressure on surrounding schools. At the same time, remaining capacity is available through the school’s magnet model, expanding access to innovative programming for students across the district.

Rather than treating enrollment as an administrative exercise, the district used it as a strategic planning tool.

This approach accomplishes multiple objectives simultaneously:

• Relieves overcrowding in neighboring schools
• Expands access to school choice opportunities
• Increases educational access within the local community
• Preserves district-wide magnet enrollment options
• Supports long-term enrollment flexibility

Too often, enrollment policy and facilities planning are discussed independently. In reality, they are most effective when designed together.

A Campus Rooted in Place

What makes Seagoville PK-8 unique is the way the project leverages its site as an educational asset.

Located on a 100-acre, shared educational campus alongside an existing middle school and high school, the new school sits within one of the last remaining post-oak reserves in the city of Dallas. Rather than treating the natural environment as a constraint, the project team viewed it as an opportunity to enhance learning.

Educational walking trails, outdoor learning environments and ecosystem-based studies transform the site into a teaching tool. Students can engage directly with natural systems, exploring environmental science, ecology and stewardship through hands-on experiences connected to the campus landscape.

The result is a learning environment where education extends beyond the classroom walls and where the site itself becomes part of the curriculum.

The approach reinforces a broader lesson: effective educational planning extends beyond buildings and enrollment counts to include how students experience and engage with their environment.

The Importance of Early Alignment

Projects like Seagoville do not succeed because of a building alone. They succeed because district leadership, planning teams, designers and construction partners align around a shared vision early in the process.

One of the most valuable aspects of this effort is the willingness to evaluate educational goals, operational realities, enrollment strategy and facility planning simultaneously rather than sequentially. Difficult conversations occurred early, when decisions could still meaningfully influence outcomes.

That alignment helped avoid a common challenge in school planning: solving today’s problem in a way that creates tomorrow’s constraint.

Designing Opportunity

The lessons from Seagoville also extend well beyond a single project. As communities continue to grow and educational needs evolve, school leaders will increasingly face questions about capacity, access, equity and long-term adaptability.

The answer may not always be another classroom, addition or boundary adjustment. Sometimes the answer involves building smarter systems.

Seagoville demonstrates that the most effective school investments are not simply measured by square footage or seat counts. They are measured by a district’s ability to create opportunity, adapt to growth and position students for long-term success.

By aligning educational programming, enrollment strategy, campus planning and facility design, Dallas ISD transformed an overcrowding challenge into an opportunity to expand access, strengthen community connections and create a learning environment designed for future generations.

Catherine Dalton, AIA, RID, LEED AP BD+C, is the K-12 Market Leader at KAI Enterprises.

This article was originally published in the .

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By Aaron JobsonÌý

During the post-World War II populationÌýboom,Ìýschool construction accelerated across the countryÌýasÌýschool systems swelled with new students. As many of theseÌý1950s- and 60s-eraÌýcampusesÌýare now 60Ìýto75 yearsÌýold,Ìýthey present schoolÌýdistrictsÌýwithÌýseveralÌýchallenges.ÌýÌý

ManyÌýagingÌýschoolÌýfacilitiesÌýare in need ofÌýrepair,Ìýfailing toÌýmeet current building code and safetyÌýstandards,ÌýandÌýrequiringÌýsignificant investment.ÌýCoinciding with this need,Ìýthe modernÌýapproach to educational and community programs,ÌýandÌýtheÌýunderstanding of the impact of learning environment quality on educational outcomesÌýhas changedÌýdramatically.ÌýOlder buildings may not provide the flexibility needed for next-generation learning,Ìýor the daylight, ventilation,Ìýand other features that support learning andÌýwellbeing.ÌýThis leaves manyÌýdistrictsÌýwithÌýthe complicated challenge ofÌýdeciding whether to modernize or replace existing campus buildings,Ìýall while continuing toÌýoperateÌýan active school.ÌýÌý

For each schoolÌýfacing theseÌýchallenges,Ìýit is best toÌýstart with a master-planning level analysis of modernization and replacement options. For eachÌýoptionÌýit is important to consider a variety of parameters,Ìýincluding:Ìý

• Existing building conditions,Ìýincluding needs forÌýcode andÌýstructural upgradesÌý
• ConstructionÌýbudgetÌý
• ScheduleÌýandÌýphasingÌý
• CampusÌýoperationsÌýandÌýsafetyÌýduring constructionÌý
• LearningÌýenvironmentÌýqualityÌýÌý
• Community impactÌý

Taking this holistic view ensures that the available funding is used to provide maximum benefit to education.ÌýÌýÌý

Looking at theÌýLong Term:ÌýLos Altos High SchoolÌý

In some cases, the best course of action is a combination of modernization and building replacement projects phased overÌýseveralÌýyears. At Los Altos High SchoolÌýinÌýCalifornia’sÌýSilicon Valley,Ìýa carefully planned sequence of projects over aÌý10-yearÌýperiodÌýreimagined a legacy mid-century campus into a flexible, student-centered learning environment that supports academic innovation, student wellness, career technical educationÌý(CTE),ÌýathleticsÌýand community engagement.ÌýÌý

Guided by a comprehensive campus-planning strategy with multi-layered community engagement,ÌýtheÌýmaster plan strengthened the relationships between academic buildings, student-centered outdoorÌýspacesÌýand shared community resources.ÌýSeveralÌýexisting buildings that could continue to support theÌýschool’s academicÌýprogramsÌýwere renovated to update worn-out finishes and systemsÌý—Ìýand someÌýmore extensivelyÌýto address code complianceÌýissuesÌýand reconfigure learning environments to provide more flexible and modern spaces.ÌýNew facilities include a classroom building, CTE building, student servicesÌýcenterÌýand auxiliary gym.ÌýPrioritizing flexibility and connections to the outdoors, these spaces expandÌýopportunitiesÌýfor learning and support student health and wellness.Ìý

The project was designed to achieveÌýa high levelÌýof sustainability with major projects achieving LEED certification.ÌýAll-electric HVAC systems and an extensive solar array combineÌýto significantly lower the environmental footprint of the campus.ÌýCareful project planning wasÌýrequiredÌýtoÌýallow construction to continue in phasesÌýwhile continuing operations of the schoolÌýwith as little disruption as possible.ÌýTogether, these projects haveÌýsignificantly transformed the campus into a high-performing, future-ready learning environment that directly supports student achievement,ÌýwellnessÌýand long-termÌýeducationalÌýgoals.Ìý

A Fresh Start:ÌýLake Elementary SchoolÌý

There are also manyÌýcasesÌýwhereÌýit makesÌýtheÌýmost senseÌýtoÌýcompletelyÌýstartÌýover. AtÌýLake Elementary School in San Pablo,ÌýCa.,Ìýthe buildingsÌýwere old and undersized and no longer supported the school’s educational programs or the needs of the surrounding community.ÌýThese challenges,Ìýand theÌýcost of upgrading the existingÌýfacilities,Ìýresulted inÌýa plan for a two-phase replacement of the existing campus on the same site.ÌýÌýÌý

The new elementary schoolÌýnowÌýservesÌý470 students inÌýgradesÌýtransitional kindergarten (TK) throughÌýgrade six. A welcoming front entrance provides administrative services and library space that can also accommodate community events after school hours.ÌýNewÌýclassrooms forÌýthe first through thirdÌýgradesÌýare housed within aÌýlearningÌýsuite; a conceptÌýin whichÌýeach classroom opens to a large, sharedÌýflexible spaceÌýto support a variety of teaching and learning approaches. A separate, similarÌýlearningÌýsuiteÌýsupportsÌýstudents in gradesÌýfour through six.ÌýFurther, aÌýdistinctÌýearly-childhood education cluster provides dedicated learning environmentsÌýand outdoor gathering and play areasÌýfor theÌýcampus’Ìýyoungest students.ÌýThe multi-purpose building,ÌýlocatedÌýin the heart of the campus, provides food service, indoorÌýandÌýoutdoor dining, and performance and gathering space.ÌýÌý

LakeÌýElementary School’sÌýnew campus was designed with significant input from the staff and community and features bright colors andÌýa strong senseÌýof identity to engage with theÌýcommunity and foster pride.ÌýÌý

Constructing the new campus while continuing to welcome students every dayÌýrequiredÌýcareful planning and collaboration. The first phase of construction built the new administration,ÌýlibraryÌýand classrooms on the existingÌýfields,Ìýleaving most of the existing buildings operational.ÌýFollowing this completion,ÌýtheÌýprojectÌýteam removed the remaining original buildings and constructed the new multi-purposeÌýroom, early childhood classrooms,ÌýplaygroundsÌýandÌýathleticÌýfields in their place.ÌýThe end resultÌýis a completely new campus that will serve the community many years into the future.ÌýÌýÌý

Read more in the Design & Construction Issue of ÌÇÐÄÉÙÅ®, available now.

Aaron Jobson is president and CEO of Quattrocchi Kwok Architects in Santa Rosa and Oakland, Ca., and Castle Rock,ÌýColo.ÌýHeÌýis a member of the ÌÇÐÄÉÙÅ® Editorial Advisory BoardÌýandÌýcan be reached atÌýaaronj@qka.com.Ìý

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By Lindsey CoulterÌý

Higher education construction is entering a period defined by financial pressure, shifting enrollment patterns and rising expectations around sustainability and student experience. Institutions are reevaluating how capital projects support long-term value,ÌýflexibilityÌýand campus identity, while navigating cost volatility and complex stakeholder demands. In this environment, the owner’sÌýrepresentativeÌýperspective is increasingly critical to project success.ÌýÌý

George Swetz,ÌýExecutive Vice President and General ManagerÌýof Skanska Integrated Solutions,Ìýhas served in this critical role across multiple high-profile projects andÌýis well versed inÌýguiding institutions through these challenges.ÌýSwetzÌýbrings more than four decades of experience across program management,ÌýconstructionÌýand real estate to higher education projects, and spoke with ÌÇÐÄÉÙÅ® (SCN)ÌýaboutÌýhow colleges and universities are prioritizing investments, managingÌýriskÌýand aligning capital projects with institutional goals. His perspective as an owner’s representative offers a behind-the-scenes view of decision-making, emphasizing long-term value, stakeholderÌýalignmentÌýand financial stewardship.Ìý

SCN:ÌýWhich types of projects are receiving the most investment today, and why?Ìý

Swetz:ÌýSome of the investments we see today are in projects that support student wellness, institutionalÌýidentityÌýand campus vitality. Facilities like the Brimmer and May School New Recreation & Wellness Center in Newton, Mass., as well as the College of the Holy Cross Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex reflect a growing emphasis on athletics, health, and student wellbeing as core components of the academic experience.ÌýÌý

Cultural and academic investments such as the Williams College Museum of Art haveÌýdemonstratedÌýhow institutions are also reinvesting in assets that support teaching, community engagement, and donor interest. In each case, these projects are about strengthening the full campus, not just adding space. AsÌýowner’sÌýreps, Skanska helps institutions prioritize investments that align their mission, studentÌýimpactÌýand long-term financial stewardship.Ìý

SCN:ÌýHow are enrollment trends and evolving academic programs influencing capital planning decisions?Ìý

Swetz:ÌýFluctuating enrollment and evolving academic priorities are pushing institutions to be more strategic in capital planning. This is where Skanska gets to help translate institutional priorities into capital plans thatÌýremainÌýresilient as students’ needs and programming evolve. Owners are increasingly tapping us to better understand how they can focus on buildings that can serve multiple functions and adapt over time rather than highly specialized,Ìýsingle useÌýspaces. At the College of the Holy Cross Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex, the integration of practice facilities, sports medicine, strengthÌýtrainingÌýand shared meeting spaces reflects that need for multifunctional programming. Similarly, the Williams College Museum of Art supports academic instruction,ÌýresearchÌýand public engagement within one flexible cultural facility.ÌýÌý

SCN:ÌýHow are institutions structuring partnerships to better manage risk and control costs?Ìý

Swetz:ÌýInstitutions are placing greater emphasis on stakeholder engagement. Including faculty, athletics leadership, facilities teams, and administration has become essential to managing the project, but also its reputation.ÌýOwner’s representativesÌýact as the central liaison, ensuring feedback is translated into clear project direction and risks are addressed early. This approach helps ownersÌýmaintainÌýcontrol while avoiding costly changes or reputational damage.ÌýÌý

SCN:ÌýWith continued cost volatility in materials and labor, what strategies are helping institutionsÌýmaintainÌýproject budgets?Ìý

Swetz:ÌýEarly planning and proactive cost management are critical in today’s uncertain market.ÌýOwner’sÌýrepsÌýrelyÌýheavily on early cost modeling and tracking during preconstruction. DisciplinedÌýchangeÌýmanagement with the general contractor is also key to protecting budgets. The goal is not just to stay on budget today but also to avoid decisions that create financial strain on the customer.ÌýÌý

SCN:ÌýWhere are you finding opportunities to achieve long-term operational savings?Ìý

Swetz:ÌýLong-term operational savings are often realized through early design decisions. Investments in efficient mechanical systems, durable materials and programs that are theÌýappropriate sizeÌýcan significantly reduce lifecycle costs. The Brimmer and May Recreation & Wellness Center reflects how facilities that are focused on wellness can also be designed for high performance and long-term efficiency. At the Williams College Museum of Art, Skanska is embedding sustainability through Passive House design principles andÌýadditionalÌýstrategies that track toward Living Building Challenge certification, settingÌýa strong foundationÌýfor long-term energy and operational savings. We have a team of dedicated sustainability experts who are supporting this and can help institutions evaluate these types of decisions through a lifecycle lens, not just cost.Ìý

SCN:ÌýHow are life-cycle cost analyses influencing material selection and long-term campus planning?Ìý

Swetz:ÌýLifecycle cost analysis is increasingly central to how institutions evaluate materials and overall projects. OwnersÌýare weighingÌýlong term maintenance and energy performance alongsideÌýinitialÌýconstruction costs. At the Williams College Museum of Art, this perspectiveÌýimpactsÌýdecisions around architectural quality and operational efficiency. At the College of the Holy Cross Hart Center at the Luth Athletic Complex, life-cycle evaluation is especially important given the intensity of use in athletics and training spaces.Ìý

Read more in the Higher Education issue of ÌÇÐÄÉÙÅ®.

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