Over the past 25 years, Speck鈥檚 work has earned more than 120 design awards, including 30+ from the American Institute of Architects. As an educator, he has received more than 40 teaching and service honors, including the AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion, the highest recognition in North America for excellence in architectural education. He has taught at M.I.T., the University of Western Australia and the University of Texas at Austin, where helped found the Center for American Architecture and Design, before serving as Dean for the School of Architecture from 1992 鈥� 2001. Speck is also an AIA Fellow and served as chair of the jury to select fellows in 2005.听

鈥淟PA is the right culture fit for me 鈥� the sincerity, the attitude, the authenticity,鈥� said Speck. 鈥淚 love the interdisciplinary approach of everybody working together, the commitment to sustainability. It is just an ideal fit.鈥�

鈥淏ringing Lawrence Speck into the LPA fold is a rare moment of the stars aligning 鈥� one that strengthens our impact in Austin and deepens our contribution to the city鈥檚 design legacy,鈥� added LPA President and Chief Design Officer Keith Hempel, FAIA. 鈥淟arry鈥檚 storied connection to Austin and passion for design excellence, community鈥慸riven placemaking and meaningful carbon鈥憆eduction strategies resonate deeply with the principles that guide LPA.鈥�听

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What You Need to Know

• Texas State Technical College opened its new Construction Technologies Center to students Feb. 2 at its Waco campus.听

• The facility听consolidates听multiple construction-trades programs that previously听operated听in separate campus buildings.听

• TSTC and contractor materials describe labs and hands-on training space for building construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing/pipefitting and solar.听

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, according to TSTC.听

Learn More听

WACO, Texas听鈥斕� On听Feb. 2, Texas State Technical College (TSTC) opened a new Construction Technologies Center to students at its Waco campus, bringing several construction-trades programs under one roof.听

The opening marks a milestone for the campus鈥� multi-trade expansion project, which TSTC leaders and students say is designed to support hands-on learning and collaboration across disciplines.听

The听120,000-square-foot, two-floor structure housing Building Construction, Electrical Construction, HVAC, Plumbing and Pipefitting and Solar Energy programs.听

鈥淚t feels good,鈥� TSTC senior construction project manager Michael Schumacher said, in听. 鈥淚t is nice to see students here, sitting on the furniture and hanging out in the labs.鈥�听

Students interviewed by TSTC pointed to larger labs and upgraded learning spaces. 鈥淚 love everything about it,鈥� Plumbing and Pipefitting student Zachary Miller said, according to听. 鈥淓verything is bigger, better and there is more of it.鈥�听

TSTC鈥檚 earlier project update said the center was planned to open in time for spring 2026 semester classes and would support program growth. The May 2025 report also highlighted features such as backlighting, glassed-in labs and a shaded outdoor work area, plus student lounge areas,听offices听and meeting space.听

鈥淢y favorite thing about the building is that its design, while serving as a beautiful showcase for TSTC, also allows our students in the construction trades to see how it is put together,鈥� Schumacher听added in听.听

Built by听Rogers-O鈥橞rien Construction, the new building includes听tiltwall听panels, structural听steel听and glazing systems.听Inside听students can take advantage of new听gathering spaces,听offices听and labs,听while outside the project added听surface parking and pedestrian pathways, according to听.听

This article is based on reporting originally published by Texas State Technical College on Feb. 2, 2026, and May 30, 2025, and project information published by Rogers-O鈥橞rien Construction Company.听

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What You Need to Know:听

• The new 46,500-square-foot Early College High School facility is complete in Round Rock, Texas, expanding the program鈥檚 permanent capacity to 500 students.听

• The $31 million project replaces portable classrooms with a听consolidated听campus featuring 14 classrooms, labs, collaboration areas and indoor and outdoor athletics and dining space.听

• HPM听provided preconstruction, project听management听and quality control across the project lifecycle, from design through closeout.听

• The campus is tied to Round Rock ISD鈥檚 2018 bond program, and HPM says it is supporting听additional听work tied to the district鈥檚 2024 bond program.听

Learn More听

ROUND ROCK, Texas 鈥� Construction was recently听completed a $31 million Early College High School facility for Round Rock Independent School District in Round Rock, Texas, outside Austin, moving the program from portable buildings into a new permanent campus for the Spring 2026 semester. The community celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 13.

The 46,500-square-foot building is designed to support the district鈥檚 early college model, which combines high school instruction with college-level coursework and allows participating students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate鈥檚 degree.听

The project increases enrollment capacity to 500 students and听consolidates听instructional and听student-support听spaces under one roof.听The facility is听located on Austin Community College鈥檚 Round Rock campus, providing听students听access to nearby higher-education resources.听

Program elements include 14 classrooms, eight study rooms and three labs, along with a large听common area听and an administration suite, HPM said. Student amenities include a cafeteria with a 12-by-8-foot听video wall, an indoor gym, an outdoor basketball court, and outdoor dining and study areas.听

HPM听provided preconstruction services, project management and quality control for the build and managed the effort from design through closeout. Bartlett Cocke served as general contractor,听with听O鈥機onnell Robertson听serving听as听architect.听Rabaa Kistner听provided听geotechnical and construction materials testing services.听

鈥淭his facility听represents听more than just classrooms and labs.听It鈥檚听a space where students can explore,听grow听and prepare for their futures. Collaborating with the Round Rock ISD to bring this vision to life reinforces our shared commitment to strengthening learning environments that serve students and the community for years to come,鈥� said Denish听Sonani, senior manager of design and construction at HPM.听

The project is part of Round Rock ISD鈥檚 2018 bond program, which the district鈥檚 voters approved to fund new facilities,听renovations听and infrastructure improvements. HPM听will continue听to support the听district through its 2024 bond program and is in the design phase for more than 15 projects that will address upcoming campus enhancements and infrastructure needs.听

Attribution: This article is based on information provided by HPM in a Jan. 16,听2026听project completion announcement and an HPM project update dated May 16, 2024.听

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What You Need to Know:

• University of Texas (UT) San Antonio is advancing five facility projects across its main campus and downtown footprint in 2026.听

• The investments include new student housing, a refreshed museum space, expanded downtown academic and business-support locations, and a major new academic building.听

• The largest project highlighted is San Pedro II, a $130 million, 180,000-square-foot building tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2026.听

• A new $35 million athletics training center is also expected to be completed this fall, with $5 million contributions from both Bexar County and the City of San Antonio.听

Read More:

SAN ANTONIO 鈥� UT San Antonio is heading into 2026 with a wave of facility investment that adds housing, expands downtown academic and business-support space, and upgrades athletics infrastructure. Five projects 鈥� some already in use, others nearing completion 鈥� highlight where the university is putting construction dollars to work.听

Blanco Hall (Main Campus residence hall)听

Blanco Hall听is welcoming听its first students and听expanding听on-campus housing for first-year students and sophomores. The 155,000-square-foot residence hall at Barshop Boulevard and Tobin Avenue adds capacity for听nearly 600听students and includes communal areas for study and collaborative learning. A dedicated kitchen space is also planned to support dietetics instruction as a shared nutrition research and practice lab.听

Institute of Texan Cultures (Frost Tower relocation and refresh)听

The Institute of Texan Cultures will reopen in its new home at Frost Tower, 111 W. Houston St., on Thursday, Jan. 29. UT San Antonio staff worked with design and museum partners to 鈥渞eimagine,鈥� according to听, the museum for a more modern, interactive experience in its new setting.听

The reopening will feature the main gallery exhibition, 鈥淐ommon Threads,鈥� organized around four themes: home and family life; heritage and traditions; arts and culture; and community.听

One Riverwalk Place (downtown footprint expansion)听

One Riverwalk Place is becoming a larger hub for UT San Antonio in the city鈥檚 urban core. After Spring Break, the Valdez Institute for Economic Development plans to move its听operations there, shifting business advising and training services closer to the downtown business community.听

In fall 2025, the building also became home to the听Klesse听College of Engineering and Integrated Design鈥檚 School of Architecture and Planning.听

San Pedro II (new $130 million academic building)听

San Pedro II is tentatively scheduled to open in spring 2026,听nearly two-and-a-half听years after its groundbreaking. The $130 million, 180,000-square-foot building on Dolorosa Street sits across from San Pedro I along the San Pedro Creek Culture Park and is planned as a business- and innovation-oriented facility.听

UT San Antonio says the building will expand immersive experiential learning and professional development opportunities and support training for careers in fields such as cybersecurity, AI, computing and data sciences. Alongside San Pedro I 鈥� home to the College of AI, Cyber and Computing and the National Security Collaboration Center 鈥� the new facility is intended to strengthen the university鈥檚 role in the city鈥檚 high-tech corridor and contribute to broader investment in the San Pedro Creek area.听

Training Center (new $35 million athletics facility)听

On the main campus, a new two-story, $35 million training center is expected to be completed this fall next to the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence. The 53,000-square-foot facility will support daily operations for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball and volleyball, while games continue at the Convocation Center.听

Plans include two full-sized NCAA practice courts and program-dedicated support areas such as locker rooms, lounges, training and hydrotherapy space, meeting听rooms听and coaches鈥� offices. The project is backed by Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, which each invested $5 million.听

This article is based on reporting originally published by UT San Antonio Today on Jan. 5, 2026.听听

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By Lindsey Coulter听

AUSTIN, Texas听鈥� Construction is now underway on Oak Springs Elementary School in Austin, Texas. The project was part of an ongoing bond program for Austin Independent School District (AISD), which was approved in 2022 and includes more than $2 billion in capital projects for local schools. 听

Huckabee, a Fort Worth-based education design firm and the founding brand of MOREgroup, is the architect on the new 83,000-square-foot, two-story building, which will include a new gym with a basketball court, full cafeteria, theater, music studio and exterior rain garden. Designed to foster collaboration, the learning spaces, referred to as studios, will have walls that open toward the hallways, enabling them to merge with adjacent spaces to encourage interactive learning among students and teachers. The school will also include mental health and wellness areas, new presentation and display systems, technology security improvements and network infrastructure upgrades.听

鈥淭his new building will provide a safe, innovative and collaborative space that greatly enhances the school鈥檚 educational offerings,鈥� said George Zakar, project executive at Hoar Construction, the project鈥檚 builder, in a statement.听鈥淎t Hoar, we look forward to drawing on our extensive experience of working on active campuses across Texas to minimize disruption to student learning and maintain the highest safety standards throughout the construction process.鈥�听

The design will also include high-grade concrete floors and a cool, pastel color palette to complement the school鈥檚 mascot, the dolphin. In addition to dedicated outdoor learning spaces, a new playground will be built on campus and shared with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, with a community center attached to the facility for public events. To ensure student safety, the community center will have a separate entrance from the school. The school itself will also benefit from a variety of enhanced security features.听

Students and administrators will continue to use the existing building until the $47 million replacement facility is complete in spring 2027. The former school, which was built in 1958, will then be demolished and converted into parking spaces.听

The 2022 bond program also includes projects across the district, including the installation of secure entry vestibules on all campuses as well as upgraded doors, locks and security fencing. The funding will also address deferred maintenance and upgrades to plumbing, HVAC and roofing, focusing on schools with critical deficiencies. Additionally, 26 aging facilities鈥攊ncluding eight high schools, five middle schools and 13 elementary schools鈥攚ill receive full or phased modernizations. Improvements to athletic facilities will bring new turf fields, lighting and seating to the district鈥檚 athletic facilities, while career and technical education programs will receive a boost through new permanent facilities to replace portable buildings at two early college high schools.听

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HOUSTON 鈥� Rice University, a private, non-profit university in Houston, will soon break ground on the new Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL), a 75,000-square-foot multi-use hub.听听

Serving as a centralized location for essential services, from food services to study spaces to entertainment, the center aims to support connection and interaction between Rice University students and the surrounding community. The project was formally announced earlier this month and is slated for completion in fall 2027. Construction will officially begin with a May 8 groundbreaking.听听听

“Rice University is dedicated to empowering our students to become leaders who make meaningful impacts around the world,” Reginald DesRoches, Rice president, said in a statement. “The Moody Center Complex for Student Life will be a centerpiece for community, creativity and collaboration, providing our students with the resources and spaces they need to thrive.鈥�听

糖心少女 in the new facility include an extended-hours cafe and coffee shop to facilitate gathering and connection, alongside numerous meeting and collaboration rooms. A large, programming pavilion will open to the central quad to offer dynamic outdoor and indoor events such as lectures, performances and multicultural celebrations. A first-of-its-kind study, tutoring and testing space will be launched inside the facility to promote academic success, and a space devoted to career advancement services will assist students in planning for their futures.听听

The MCCSL, designed by Seattle-based architecture firm Olson Kundig alongside Washington-based architecture and planning firm Page, aims to expand student services as the university population steadily rises. This will include the addition of a new space for the dean of undergraduates to support the growing student body. Over the past 10 years, Rice鈥檚 enrollment has risen 34%, with almost 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled, according to a university statement.听

“The Moody Center Complex for Student Life is set to become a vibrant cornerstone of student activity at Rice鈥攁n open, inclusive and outward-looking space that amplifies the university鈥檚 mission to support students in their academic, personal and professional journeys,鈥� said Kelly Fox, executive vice president for operations, finance and support, in a statement.听

To enhance the complex, the neighboring Rice Memorial Center and Ley Student Center will also undergo renovation upon completion of the MCCSL. Students at Rice University will provide input on the redesigns to ensure educational needs are met and reflected.听听

A $15 million donation from the Texas-based grantmakers The Brown Foundation will go towards supporting the MCCSL, alongside a $100 million commitment from the Moody Foundation, a group focused on enhancing education in Texas. Aside from the MCCSL, the $100 million will also support 12 campus endowments focused on enriching student opportunity and success.听

鈥淭his new state-of-the-art facility will be much more than just a building; it is an investment in the future of every student, supporting them in pursuit of their passions,鈥� said Elle Moody, a 2014 trustee of both the Moody Foundation and Rice, in a statement. 鈥淢y hope is that it will provide opportunities for our students to form meaningful connections, not only with one another, but also with a vast network of scholars and leaders from local to global communities.鈥�听

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BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas 鈥� The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has approved multiple campus construction and improvement projects that total over half-a-billion dollars. The record-setting vote reflects the A&M System鈥檚 legislative success in 2023 when a record $1.19 billion in new spending, including $775 million in new initiatives, was approved by the state, according to a statement by the university system.听

Among the approved projects is a $200 million, four-story research center that will focus on space exploration, specifically assisting in missions to the moon and to Mars. The new building, the Texas A&M University Space Institute, will sit on a 32-acre site and will house classrooms and research laboratories devoted to robots and vehicles as well as offices, classrooms and auditoriums. Construction is slated to begin in January. 听

Additionally, the regents approved the construction of a $10 million Hypersonic Wind Tunnel that is poised to become the largest academic facility of its kind in the nation. Large-scale aerodynamic testing, ranging from Mach 5 to 9, will be conducted at the new facility and will go hand in hand with research at the Ballistics Aero-optics and Materials (BAM) Range and the Detonation Research Test Facility. Construction on the wind tunnel will begin in December. 听

Construction will also begin in December on a $21.69 million, state-of-the-art Educare San Antonio facility, which will serve children ages six weeks old through kindergarten. The project will mark Texas鈥檚 first Educare school, and the facility will join a national network of 25 schools dedicated to early childhood education. The lab-school will also provide hands-on experience for students at Texas A&M-San Antonio.听

An additional $25.3 million in approved funds will go towards an 86-acre site purposed for a Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service facility and will eventually serve the program鈥檚 headquarters. The facility will offer training and technical assistance in fire and rescue, infrastructure and safety, law enforcement, economic and workforce development, cybersecurity and homeland security. The site will also include a driving track, an urban simulation grid, skills pad and classrooms.听

鈥淭his agenda not only underscores the great needs of the state and nation,鈥� said Chancellor John Sharp in a statement. 鈥淚t is only possible thanks to the foresight and commitment of our state leaders.鈥�听

Other funding approved will go towards private and public athletic renovations, a new veterinary research complex, a $7.4 million student dining hall and $74.9 million in utility and HVAC upgrades on College Station campus.听

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BUFFALO, N.Y.鈥� The School of Dental Medicine at the University of Buffalo (UB) has received a $7.3 million grant from the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs of the National Institute of Health for development of the new 4,000-square-foot Microbiome Center Gnotobiotic Animal Research Facility, supporting research that may provide insights into diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease.听

The prestigious research grant will support oral microbiome research to gain insights into systemic diseases, bacterial pathogenesis and more. The new research center is poised to make a significant impact on the community as the only oral microbiome research facility of its kind in the region, with the nearest similar center located over 300 miles away in Cleveland.听

鈥淩eceiving an NIH grant of this magnitude speaks to UB鈥檚 reputation as one of the top research universities in the country and also to the dental school鈥檚 commitment to cutting-edge research,鈥� said Marcelo Araujo, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, in a statement. 鈥淚t will enable us to work closely with other disciplines across the university, as well as our community partners and other universities.鈥�听

Animal subjects within the research facility, like mice, will be raised in a controlled, gnotobiotic environment where microbial exposure is managed for more reliable research into bacterial issues and health. UB is planning the facility in consultation with architectural and engineering firms with extensive experience in biomedical laboratory design and green design principles, according to a statement by the University.听

The campus鈥� original Microbiome Center, originally built in 2012, has been home to various clinical trials and has celebrated numerous in-lab findings regarding periodontal infections. The new facility will build upon past efforts and allow students and researchers to continue collaborating with on- and off-campus medicinal research teams to help place UB in the top 25 of public research universities in the nation, according to Keith Kirkwood, senior associate dean for research and UB professor.听

Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2025.听

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ALLEN, Texas鈥擵LK Architects was recently awarded the Caudill Award for the design of the Allen ISD STEAM Center in Allen, Texas, a city of approximately 85,000,听located 23 miles north of Dallas.

The jury noted the design of the Allen STEAM Center stood out due to its 鈥渋nnovation that solved community needs and enrollment growth while looking to the horizon for determining future student interests and skills鈥� and how the 鈥渢otal shift in culture occurred with an explosion of STEAM interest across the district.鈥�

The two-story arc-shaped building was designed with separate high school STEAM and elementary/middle school experience designated entrances with the intention to provide a foundational system promoting curiosity, cultivating future-ready skills, and preparing Allen ISD students for success in STEAM-related areas.

The Caudill Award is the highest honor in the TASA/TASB Exhibit of School Architecture (EoSA) competition. Allen STEAM was also the only project in the EoSA Competition that received all six Stars of Distinction awards.

The STEAM Center offers specialized spaces such as engineering and robotics labs, computer labs, computer maintenance instructional programs, science and physics labs, math classrooms, and studios for the architecture and interior design programs.

Collaboration spaces, common areas, and huddle rooms are situated throughout the facility to provide a range of places for groups to collaborate on projects. Throughout the center, visibility and transparency across disciplines creates an open co-creative atmosphere that provides younger students a window to the advanced upper classes. The design integrates a rich outdoor setting, providing learning trails and ecological zones for exploration.

鈥淭he Allen ISD STEAM Center is a unique facility that empowers our students to engage in experiential learning,鈥� said Robyn Bullock, Allen ISD Superintendent, in a statement.

鈥淔rom the tranquil outdoor trails and pond, the hands-on makerspace labs, and the carefully planned science labs and classrooms, the STEAM Center provides our students the opportunity to engage in future-focused STEAM lessons and activities. We are proud to have partnered with VLK throughout the design process to create our one-of-a-kind facility that is helping build innovative and collaborative skillsets for all students.鈥�

The new STEAM Center supports innovative instruction across the district, offering Kindergarteners to 12^th-grade students more than 100,000 square feet of increased exposure to science, technology, engineering, art and math-integrated experiences.

鈥淲e are so proud to have received the Caudill Award in recognition of this incredible project,鈥� said听Sloan Harris, CEO | Partner of VLK Architects, in a statement.

鈥淥ur team鈥檚 exploration and research in what this facility could be founded the design that became real innovation in a learning environment, centered around Allen ISD鈥檚 bold vision for this one-of-a-kind school. We are grateful for the partnership with Allen ISD and to be a part of this project.鈥�

The Allen STEAM Center also recently received a Merit Award at the 2020 AIAFW Excellence in Architecture.

Cadence McShane Construction of Addison, Texas, was the general contractor on this impressive project.

Student enrollment has more than doubled since 1989 in the Allen Independent School District, which serves than 20,780 in grades K-12. Students attend one of 18 elementary schools, three middle schools, one freshman center, and one high school staffed by 2,660 Allen ISD employees.

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