These five building projects are making waves.

1. $200M Football Stadium and Facilities Upgrades at Texas Tech
2. The Reefline Underwater Sculpture Park in Miami
3. University of Chicago Cancer Center
4. Hotel Ella Renovation in Austin
5. Low-rise Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles

The official groundbreaking ceremony may include gold shovels and ribbons, but any construction professional knows that the project really starts long before with project funding, the design and engineering phases, permitting, and bidding. And even when the construction industry has its stops and starts, there will always be new and interesting projects on the horizon. Here are some of our favorites going into the second half of the year.

$200M Football Stadium and Facilities Upgrades at Texas Tech

With a construction start after the 2022 football season, the new facilities are planned to open in time for fall 2024. The scope includes a four-story building that will enclose the south end of the Red Raiders’ stadium. Inside will be new locker rooms, offices for the coaching staff, and a television studio for media content. This project is combining forces with the already-announced Dustin R. Womble Football Center that will provide an upgrade in football training facilities for the Big 12 school. Working on the initial designs is Kansas City-based architecture group, Populous.

The Reefline Underwater Sculpture Park in Miami

Designed by both artists and scientists, the Reefline environmental public art project is a collaboration between Bluelab Preservation Society, Coral Morphologic, the City of Miami Beach, and researchers from the University of Miami. Any sculptures added among the existing artificial reefs must be made from a specific list of acceptable materials including concrete/cement and limestone. Any installations have to weigh over 500 lbs. and include multiple small holes and nooks for sea creatures and fish to hide, and encourage coral development. Various pieces will be installed from a crane mounted on a barge off the coast, just north of South Pointe Park. OMA designed the underwater park infrastructure to allow visitors to snorkel through seven miles of trails and artificial reefs.

University of Chicago Cancer Center

The south side of Chicago will be home to a $633 million, 500,000 SF facility. University of Chicago Medicine has not yet selected an architect for the project, but are currently engaging the community to determine the necessary scope. The clinical center will have 128 beds and construction is planned to begin in 2023, with an opening set for 2026. It is anticipated that the project will create over 500 construction industry jobs.

Hotel Ella Renovation in Austin

The iconic 1898 mansion-turned-hotel on the north side of Austin’s city core is getting a big upgrade. While the original building will keep its historic structure, a renovation and expansion is planned for the more modern buildings behind it. The new hotel will boast 213 rooms and create a 172-parking spot garage below grade. Design and construction are in the hands of the team at Beck, but Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission has yet to approve the specific design, so plans are yet to be finalized. Potential features include a rooftop garden, fine dining restaurant, and basement wine bar.

Low-rise Multifamily Housing in Los Angeles

An award-winning project from Kevin Daly Architects was designed with housing challenges in mind. Keeping the balance of high and low density, the low-rise model is centered on community interaction while still making good use of available land. Affordability was also a focus, so the low-rise apartments are designed using common materials that are easily accessible to builders. The complex is a combination of semi-detatched mini towers that are either two or three stories, and the design can easily be used on infill blocks.

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