HIGHER EDUCATION

Higher Education, Fostering Learning and Discovery

AHBL helps colleges and universities plan and design environments that strengthen academic programs, encourage STEM education, and enhance the overall learning experience. Our completed projects elevate hands-on exploration, in-depth study, and opportunities to pursue innovative research.

Our multidisciplinary teams integrate civil engineering, structural engineering, landscape architecture, land use planning, and land surveying to deliver projects that enhance campus identity, long-term stewardship, and future growth.

Explore Our Work
Higher Education Projects We Deliver

Colleges and universities routinely adapt to evolving curriculum, expanding STEM education efforts, improving access to research opportunities, and modernizing aging spaces. Campuses are tasked with addressing technological innovation, flexible learning environments, and evolving student needs while managing tight budgets and complex regulatory frameworks.

AHBL partners with colleges, universities, and architects to develop environments that support research initiatives, a collaborative learning experience, and the wellbeing of students, faculty, and staff. We provide site and infrastructure design for new facilities, targeted upgrades to existing buildings, comprehensive retrofitting efforts, and improvements to open spaces and pedestrian circulation.

Our experience includes:

  • Academic, science, and classroom facilities
  • Campus infrastructure and utility improvements
  • Circulation, access, and multimodal pathways
  • Ensuring continuous operation of the campus during construction
  • Long-range campus planning and feasibility studies
  • On-call small works projects and task orders
  • Outdoor learning spaces and campus open spaces
  • Research and laboratory buildings
  • Site ADA accessibility design
  • Student centers, residence halls, and auxiliary spaces

Our passions range from creating outdoor environments for informal collaboration to infrastructure design for new buildings and renovated structures, and everything in between. AHBL delivers solutions grounded in long-term campus goals and operational realities.

See the Vision Come to Life

  • Bates Technical College for Allied Health Education

    Advancing hands‑on healthcare education through smart urban site design

  • Eastern Oregon University Grand Stair

    Preserving historic campus through long‑life, code‑compliant design

  • Pierce College Puyallup Johnson Science Building

    Integrating campus features with second-growth forests

  • UW Tacoma Milgard Hall

    Opportunities for UW Tacoma students expands with Milgard Hall

  • Wenatchee Valley College Mish ee twie/Wells Hall

    New three-story replacement building named after higher educational advocate and tribal elder Mish ee twie

See More Higher Education Projects

How We Partner with Higher Education Institutions

We know campuses consider how to integrate academic priorities, operational needs, financial considerations, and diverse stakeholder expectations. AHBL guides institutions through coordinated planning, design, and project management that helps keep projects on track. We also provide on-call services for higher learning institutions where we can become an extension of existing staff to complete small-works projects and task orders.

Planning for Growth and Long-Term Stewardship

We help institutions evaluate future needs and constraints, ensuring campus planning, utility capacity assessment, and scenario development that anticipates growth in research, enrollment, and program offerings.

Designing Flexible, High-Performance Learning Environments

Facilities must foster teamwork, collaboration, and the evolving needs of faculty and students. We work with project teams to ensure site and structural systems accommodate evolving curriculum, technological innovation, and diverse learning environments.

Enhancing Campus Connectivity and Everyday Experience

AHBL designs ADA, pathways, plazas, outdoor gathering areas, and circulation systems that strengthen campus identity and improve day-to-day movement for students and staff.

Renovating and Retrofitting Existing Facilities

Many higher education projects involve modernization, accessibility improvements, systems upgrades, and similar long-term investments. Our engineering teams coordinate closely with project managers, architects, and facilities staff to allow for phased construction and minimize disruption to active campuses.
  • Our Services
    Our Core Services

    AHBL brings a collaborative, comprehensive approach to every college and university project, ensuring careful coordination and a clear understanding of institutional priorities.

    • Civil Engineering
    • Structural Engineering
    • Landscape Architecture
    • Land Use Planning
    • Land Surveying
  • Civil Engineering

    Our civil engineers help clients develop site grading, site planning, design of capital projects, and site operation and maintenance.  Our experience includes stormwater, sewer, water, utility improvements, circulation plans, and more for new construction and modernization projects. We incorporate ADA improvements, pavement restoration, sustainability strategies, water quality improvements, and infrastructure planning that provide for long-term campus operations.

  • Structural Engineering

    We design structural systems for academic buildings, research facilities, renovation projects, and campus-support structures, balancing essential considerations such as seismic requirements, lifecycle performance, and the flexibility needed for research spaces, laboratories, and specialized equipment.

  • Landscape Architecture

    Open spaces help define the academic experience. AHBL designs courtyards, outdoor classrooms, pedestrian circulation, and campus landscapes that promote accessibility and engagement. Our landscapes foster social interaction, mental well-being, and community place-making across campus environments.

  • Land Use Planning

    Our planners help institutions navigate zoning, permitting, SEPA requirements, and jurisdictional coordination. We contribute to feasibility studies, campus planning initiatives, and land use reviews that ensure projects align with regulatory frameworks and institutional goals.

  • Land Surveying

    To ensure the foundation of higher education infrastructure is sound, AHBL provides boundary and topographic surveys, utility research based on record information, construction staking, and detailed mapping for complex design requirements and long-term campus development.