Construction recently began on Auburn University's new College of Education building at the intersection of West Samford Avenue and Duncan Drive, the former site of the Hill Residence Halls, in the east-central Alabama town of Auburn.

The university announced May 15 that the $77 million facility is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2025.

Last November, the school's Board of Trustees approved construction of the 167,000-sq.-ft., three-story structure to include modern and collaborative classrooms, instructional laboratories, modern technology and administrative spaces for faculty and staff.

"The new facility will enable the college to consolidate its departments into one building that is located at a prominent campus location," explained Simon Yendle, assistant vice president of planning, design and construction in Auburn's Facilities Management Department. "It will feature large, bright classrooms and lecture halls like those in the Mell Classroom Building and the Academic Classroom and Laboratory Complex."

He added that the college's new building has been planned with modern teaching methods and practices in mind.

"Classroom spaces are designed to give students different learning experiences based on areas of interest," Yendle said. "It will also offer innovative office concepts where faculty spaces are not just offices, [but] also include additional space for teaching to take place outside of the classroom."

Creating a student-centered College of Education facility has been at the forefront of planning and will continue to guide decisions as the college prepares to move to its new space, according to the Auburn Newsroom.

"Our new building will be a hub of activity to bring students together and give them easy access to their classrooms and laboratories," noted Jeffrey T. Fairbrother, dean of Auburn's College of Education and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor.

"It will also provide a one-stop location for support services such as advising and those provided by our Learning Resources Center," he continued. "Ultimately, our new facility will promote student collaboration in study and meeting spaces and, importantly, facilitate interaction with our faculty and staff. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to better serve our students."

The new building's plans call for it to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly, and designed to earn LEED silver certification, a framework for healthy, efficient and cost-saving green buildings.

"We are building smart buildings that are also compliant with the Alabama Commercial Energy Code," Yendle added. "For example, the building will utilize daylight harvesting, an energy management technique that reduces overhead lighting use by using the ambient — natural and artificial light — present in the space."

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