Campus Design Toolkit

Even in the face of declining revenue across the past decade, funding for new construction is still one of the most accessible sources of dollars. However, the design process remains complex and sometimes politically fraught, with multiple stakeholders and interests in play. 

This toolkit is designed for anyone involved in campus design and construction efforts. You can use the tools independently or in sequence across a construction project to ensure that facilities leaders are supported through each stage of the design and construction process.

Download the full toolkit or learn more about the specific tools below. An editable version of some tools is also available to download.

Supporting pre-planning efforts

Capital projects can get sidetracked or derailed when project participants do not understand their role and when a project exceeds its budget. To create campus spaces that meet your institution’s needs today and in the future, you must first create a project framework that scopes both the outcome as well as each participant’s role. Then, map out construction and design costs upfront to ensure projects don’t go over budget.

• Tool 1: Capital Project Charter Template
  Put it into practice: Build your own project charter
• Tool 2: Capital Project Cost Calculator
  Put it into practice: University of Colorado Boulder’s facilities cost model

Deciding on classroom upgrades

As pedagogy evolves, institutions must make more and more decisions about the style and layout of instructional spaces. Some institutions are looking to introduce new active learning spaces. Others seek to standardize technology across classrooms to reduce faculty preference for certain rooms and to maximize flexibility. These tools will help you design active learning spaces and classroom technology standards that support broader institutional aspirations and advance pedagogical goals.

• Tool 3: Classroom Technology Standards Considerations
• Tool 4: Learning Space Upgrade Guide

Bringing new types of space to campus

Prototyping is a process where institutions pilot new furniture or layouts with a subset of end users to ensure the final layout meets their needs. Given the increasing complexity of makerspaces, classrooms, and labs, prototyping helps ensure you are investing in spaces that are truly designed to meet your needs. The tools below help guide institutions as they prototype new spaces and gather feedback to inform the ultimate design of a new space.

• Tool 5: Space Prototyping Planning Guide
• Tool 6: Prototyping Feedback Guidelines
  Put it into practice: Use these prototyping feedback questions