FLEX to the FUTURE

摘要

Escalating costs, demographic shifts, and growing competitive pressures are pushing colleges and universities to streamline-and transform-their operations. State funding of U.S. public higher-education institutions declined by 16% from 2008 to 2017, even as tuition rose an average 35%. Campuses are adapting their facilities to underscore the ROI of earning a degree to a more discerning student population. Many institutions are emphasizing interdisciplinary research. The University of Michigan's new Biological Sciences Building brings together the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, as well as the museums of Natural History, Paleontology, and Zoology. Designed by Ennead Architects and SmithGroup, the facility houses large, open classrooms and a flexible active-learning hall for group work.