I think Penn is also re-doing two of the old dorms. Not in a half assed way, totally rethinking them. We didn't find the Penn campus enviable, but I think that might change in a few years.

From the tour circuit :
-Amherst has a new dining and student center opening in about a year I think they said. The computer model renderings are gorgeous.
-Cornell has a new computer/data science complex, on campus, that is opening in the next 6-8 months.
-Penn has two new science/engineering buildings, opening in the next 3-5 months, on campus. They each will have dedicated space for undergraduates in the majors as well as open study areas/lounges for all students.
-Penn also has a new performing arts complex to be completed in 2026, on campus. The two main art venues (including theater space, dance studios, music) are great but the new center will be another level. They showed renderings.

No one here will likely care, but Radford just built a gorgeous new building for their arts programs.

https://www.radford.edu/artis-center/index.html

My daughter was accepted into their dance program and new dance spaces were definitely a big pro as she was making her decision. Radford wound up a very close #2, but we really liked Radford and I have seen pics inside the glass walled studio and am so excited for the students there.

Side note - my kid has already in a tough moment talked about transferring, so she may wind up there eventually. Obviously told her to give it more time at her current school, but won’t be mad if she changes course.

Anonymous wrote:UVA has a new Data Science building, Contemplative Science building, and a conference center. Last one still being built. Physics building still being worked on.

Kids are relieved that most of the construction is over. All that work can be disruptive.

to this point, which is underreported, some schools are launching projects that will make the next few years not nice. Villanova is building a new library on site of currently ugly student union. They'll take down the current main (ugly) library. Which means no library for next 3-5 years. Student guide said, "I'm sure they'll add some temporary spaces to study". Okay?

Swarthmore's new lodge-style dining hall is lovely.

Their "old" dining hall is new and bright and nice too - really not sure why they needed to add more, but I guess they needed the space?

Not a school commonly on people’s radar’s here but VCU has an incredible new arts center planned for the future.

https://masterplan.vcu.edu/implementation/current-projects/costar-center-for-arts-and-innovation/

^dorms

https://www.brown.edu/news/2024-09-12/life-sciences

^ big life science complex

Also plenty of new forms with Musk’s $

Elon has a lot of new buildings and spaces on campus. They opened a neat EcoVillage LLC.

https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2024/06/26/an-ecovillage-a-new-commons-and-more-in-the-works-this-summer-at-elon/

There’s also a huge health and wellness student center slated for next year.

https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2024/04/16/healtheu-center/

Claremont McKenna

UVA has a new Data Science building, Contemplative Science building, and a conference center. Last one still being built. Physics building still being worked on.

Kids are relieved that most of the construction is over. All that work can be disruptive.

W&M is opening a new computer and data sciences building next year. Also 5 new dorms, and a new dining hall.

Providence has a new Health Sciences building
Kenyon has new dorms
Oberlin just converted to geothermal

Northeastern had some beautiful and new-looking spaces (dodges flames - my child doesn't go there! also the dorm they showed us was utter crap)

Just toured JHU and they are not letting Bloomberg's money burn a hole in their pocket. That new student union is gorgeous. And the DC museum conversion for their grad school is fantastic. They have weak points (their cafeterias are ick), but they have a design team that is making up for it w the new stuff.

Also saw Georgetown and while they are also putting up some building, it looks like they decided not to spend a lot for design. Super blah.

Any other colleges you've seen lately with notable new buildings opening soon?