What’s being built at colleges and universities right now, besides bright minds and futures, of course? Plenty. Higher education offers many opportunities, now and in the future, for construction companies and just about any related vendor and supplier.

For starters, the construction boom that began around 2000 is expected to continue, but perhaps the most significant opportunity stems from the previous construction boom from 1950 to 1975. Campus facilities built during that period are now overdue for renovations and upgrades. But it’s not just renovations and brand new dormitories—universities are also building new kinds of facilities, from innovation hubs to live-learn-work environments, often in partnership with private developers.

These opportunities, emerging on and off campus, are being driven by trends seen on almost every higher education campus. Smart designers, planners and builders need to take note and capitalize on them. Here are just a few.

The contemporary quad

Institutions must adapt to changes in how they are funded, and they are under pressure to lessen the impact of declining or flat enrollments and reduced public funding. Buildings from the postwar and current periods—plus the stone, brick and columned 19th- and early 20th-century buildings that form the core of many campuses—need extensive, ongoing maintenance. They also require upgrades that the original designers and builders never even dreamed of.

Like most problems, solving deferred maintenance challenges begins with recognizing and assessing the problem. New data-driven facilities condition assessment tools provide facility engineers with more in-depth insights into the state of campus buildings, so they can pinpoint maintenance and repair needs and anticipate possible future equipment failures. Using precise data and predictive analytics, they can also provide estimated costs, help prioritize projects and plan for upgrades and repairs in advance.

Facility management solutions can be applied to campus-wide improvements for a bigger ticket win, too. By automating building systems, facility leaders can improve compliance and service delivery, boost efficiency and the campus experience, and move from reactive facility planning to predictive planning.

The college and the college town unite

Historically, the term “college town” implies just that: a town with a college in it, with little real interaction between the two. Now, universities are leading the way in establishing new models of town collaboration.

Many universities are forging public-private partnerships to create new kinds of developments by leveraging private-sector capital. New university-created innovation hubs and research parks, for example, are revitalizing neighborhoods and business districts. At the heart of this trend is the integration of faculty, students, and the business community in research centers and innovation incubators. The institutions are actively fostering collaboration and innovation that benefits the school, the neighborhood and the city.

Some of these initiatives are designed to give private sector companies access to academic research and talent. For instance, Drexel University developed its innovative Schuylkill Yards project in Philadelphia’s University City to foster economic growth and business collaboration. The mixed-use project includes education, research, commercial, retail, hospitality and transit-oriented housing in a 10-acre area surrounding the university. Universities elsewhere in the country are pursuing equally ambitious plans.

Student housing goes upscale

Over the past decade, many colleges and universities have launched major construction programs to revamp student housing and use it as a recruiting tool. That trend will likely continue as colleges and universities explore public-private partnerships and other innovative financing models to make these projects feasible. Many campuses are replacing legacy dormitory-style housing with large suites and apartments with amenities, including private bathrooms, in-unit laundry, gyms, pools and more.

Today’s students’ expectations and preferences in housing are also driving universities to provide opportunities for socialization in addition to learning. Universities are developing apartment complex-like communities, with bars, restaurants and retail. Creating a “home away from home” has never been taken as seriously as it is now by competitive institutions. The good news is that more modern facilities improve outcomes for students; the challenge is to update existing housing or create new facilities in an affordable, sustainable manner.

Opportunity for all

Despite the current funding and debt crises that some institutions are currently facing, colleges and universities have an ongoing need to provide appealing student housing and learning environments that help attract new students and alleviate enrollment pressures. And, top research institutions must keep their research facilities up to date with new methodologies and technologies if they want to attract top faculty and students.

Also, some institutions are beginning to address their significant deferred maintenance backlogs. Some are creating multi-year capital plans that will involve ongoing maintenance, renovation and repair programs, creating opportunities for many different kinds of service providers.

Functional, appealing and up-to-date facilities are critical to recruit and support the learning journey for students, and recruit and retain top faculty and administration. By working with a trusted real estate services provider to uncover cost savings, address deferred maintenance and create vibrant live, work, play, learn communities that attract new students, higher education leaders can divert attention—and cost savings—back to the university's core mission: educating students.