College of Science Strategic Facility Plan

The University of Utah hired CRB to develop a strategic facility plan for the College of Science that evaluated the college’s existing conditions and developed short- and long-term plans for growth in all its departments. The project involved more than 800,000 gross square feet of space in 13 existing buildings on the Salt Lake City campus.

Our goal was to provide a living document for the university, the college and its departments to assist in future facility planning and funding needs for the next 20 years.

Inventory Assessment

The strategic plan began with a detailed analysis of the College of Science’s buildings and space inventory to assess space use and efficiency. From this, our team developed recommendations to improve efficiency and establish future utilization metrics. While this effort examined all space types, we executed a more detailed effort on the following areas:

• Research labs and lab support
• Teaching labs
• Offices and office support

Growth Drivers Analysis

In conjunction with the university’s dean, department chairs and senior administration, our team identified and analyzed several growth drivers for the university’s space and facility impacts:

• Enrollment projections (undergraduate and graduate students)
• Headcount projections (researchers, teaching faculty and staff)
• New course offerings
• New research programs

Growth Strategies and Cost Analysis

The strategic facility plan aligned the existing space inventory with the College of Science’s growth drivers to identify future facility needs. From this, we developed several strategies to accommodate an almost 30 percent growth over 20 years. The plan assessed how to best leverage both new and existing buildings and comply with the campus master plan. It also included financial planning recommendations and phasing for new construction and renovations.