What does it take to plan, design, and build or renovate campus facilities? In this episode, Sarah Holtan, PhD, interviews Scott Lindvall, the Chief Operating Officer of HGA (Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson). HGA is an award-winning architectural-engineering firm. They discuss the ins and outs of designing and building for universities, including the importance of strategic planning, engaging all stakeholders, and accounting for future trends.

Scott shares valuable insights on the key players involved in the process, from dual partnerships between the university and external organizations, to the role of program directors and facilities staff. He also stresses the importance of building flexibility and adaptability into projects to account for changing technology and pedagogy, then he delves into the middle phases of a project, highlighting the importance of engaging with end-users to make critical decisions and cautioning against mid-process changes or new input that can cause costly delays.

Throughout the episode, Scott offers concrete figures, such as the current price ranges for various types of academic buildings, and recommends ways to save costs by reusing existing space or finding ways to double up on space usage for higher value. Tune in to get exclusive insights on successfully designing and building for universities. With Scott's expert advice, you'll be well on your way to creating modern, sustainable, and successful academic facilities!

Episode Highlights

11:34 - There are endless decisions to make. But again, if you have a good design partner, they've done this before, they understand the questions, they'll prompt you so you don't have to think of everything, they'll help lead you through that process.

14:19 - I get work because I could take prospective clients to see some of the spaces that we've already done. And oftentimes they ask to speak to our former clients without us there. And so, I would hope that most of our clients could relay really good experiences, and I think they end up being happy with the spaces that we provided for them.

15:45 - Labor costs have gone up. I don't think they're gonna go down. So, I pulled together some current ranges. And I think the other important thing to note is, it really depends on the kind of building your building. So, there's a range of different costs for lots of different buildings.

Contact

Sarah Holtan, PhD

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Scott Lindvall

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