Higher education evolves rapidly as universities respond to new models of research and teaching, financial pressures and advances in technology. NBBJ partners with colleges and universities to plan, design and transform campuses that foster learning, discovery and community while helping institutions make confident decisions for the future.

Working across campus planning, architecture and interiors, we help institutions maximize resources, strengthen campus identity and create flexible environments that adapt alongside evolving academic priorities. Whether guiding a long-term campus vision, planning a research precinct or designing a new interdisciplinary building, our work creates campuses that perform better over time.

Design Perspectives for Education

The best campuses don't simply grow—they evolve through thoughtful planning. Campus plans help institutions make strategic decisions about growth, investments and space utilization while creating flexible frameworks that adapt to changing academic priorities. Georgia Tech's Comprehensive Campus Plan introduces a first-of-its-kind GIS-based "living plan," enabling the university to test future scenarios in real time while guiding development, sustainability and innovation for decades.

The strongest campuses create a sense of belonging for every student, faculty member and visitor. Inclusive planning and design improve accessibility while ensuring campuses reflect the diverse communities they serve. UC San Diego's Viterbi Family Vision Research Center supports the Department of Ophthalmology's mission to promote treatment across all areas of eye care through a responsive approach that reflects the unique needs of the region, in addition to engaging low-income communities through an outreach program to engage their voices and ideas into the design process.

Today's greatest discoveries happen at the intersection of disciplines. Flexible academic and research environments bring together teaching, research and community while supporting new models of collaboration. The University of Oxford's Life and Mind Building unites psychology, zoology and plant sciences within a more integrated, space-efficient environment—the new building uses 21% less space while accommodating 23% more occupants as compared to the previous building—that encourages connection across departments and with the community.

Universities are increasingly aligning campus development with ambitious climate commitments. Sustainable design reduces operational carbon while creating healthier learning environments that reflect institutional values. Cornell University's Tang Hall Addition meets Ithaca's stringent energy requirements, achieving an EUI of 114.9 kBtu/sf/yr, a more than 60% reduction from benchmark, through a high-performance envelope and campus-integrated energy systems that support the university's long-term sustainability goals.

Work and Ideas

All Work and Ideas

The Faculty Office: Evolution, Not Elimination

UC San Diego Viterbi Family Vision Research Center

Georgia Institute of Technology Comprehensive Campus Plan

A New Lease on Life: How Renewing Academic Labs Enhances Value and Amplifies Discovery

University of Oxford, Life and Mind Building

Cornell University Tang Hall Addition for Biomedical Engineering

The University of Utah Physical Development Plan

Bunker Hill Community College, Academic Student Success Center

University of Idaho, Integrated Research and Innovation Center

Cornell University Duffield Hall

Suffolk University Leonard J. Samia Academic Center at 20 Somerset Street

Renovation of the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground

Article

Diverse Teams Drive Better Projects. Here’s How to Get the Most from an Integrated Partnership.

Westmark School

Stanford University, Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge

UCLA, Pauley Pavilion Renovation and Expansion

City, University of London Main Entrance Transformation Project

Education Leaders

Cathy Bell, AIA, LEED AP

Principal | Firmwide Science and Education Practice Leader

Darius Umrigar, RIBA

Principal I Firmwide Science and Education Practice Leader

Megha Sinha, AICP, LEED AP

Principal | Firmwide Urban Environments Practice Leader

Will Voulgaris, AIA

Principal | Education Market Leader

Featured Project

University of Oxford, Life and Mind Building

The Life and Mind Sciences Building, the largest construction project in the University of Oxford's history, brings together the departments of Experimental Psychology, Plant Sciences and Zoology in a shared hub designed to advance interdisciplinary research, teaching and collaboration.

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