Throughout the summer, Iowa State had multiple construction projects around campus that renovated and revamped the area. The Student Innovation Center, Sports Performance Center and Reiman Gardens-Southwest Corner Improvements were some of the big projects that students can now see the effects of.

The largest campus construction project is the Student Innovation Center, located between Hoover Hall and Sweeney Hall on the west side of campus. Construction began in 2017, and the building is scheduled to open in time for the spring 2020 semester. The building “is being constructed to provide specialized equipment, technology, and technical support to students across its five floors and 140,000-square feet,” according to a special fall briefing from the Iowa State University Facilities Planning and Management team.

The Student Innovation Center is designed to create a cooperative environment, owned by no single department, where students can come together and work on various projects and activities.

“You can’t force people to collaborate but what you can do is make it very easy for them to collaborate,” said Jonathan Wickert, senior vice president and provost.

Another on-campus project is the construction of the Sports Performance Center.

Being constructed on the east side of the Bergstrom Football Complex, the center “will provide an expanded academic and student affairs center, commons area for students to gather and interact with fellow student athletes, and a full service sports nutrition center staffed by registered dietitians,” also mentioned in the briefing.

Additionally, it will contain new service areas such as sports medicine, strength and conditioning and locker rooms for varsity sports.

The Sports Performance Center has entered its second phase of construction and a majority of it is anticipated to be complete by winter 2020.

The Reiman Gardens has also undergone renovation in the southwest corner.

Terracing and lighting efforts have “[created] a series of water pools that cascade over native limestone walls and collect in a circular pool surrounded by a walkway,” according to the briefing. The hope of these improvements are to add “an iconic landmark and destination to the gardens.”

Slated for completion this fall, the gardens will see planting activities occur soon after.

Some other construction projects happening around campus include the Gerdin Business Building expansion, the east of University Boulevard site improvements, the Poultry Farm-Teaching and Research Facilities demolition and reconstruction as well as Curtiss Farm – Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex construction.

All projects can be found online on the Iowa State University Facilities Planning and Construction current projects page.