CONSTRUCTION more common in the sector because of the educational space and construction boom of the late sixties and early 1970 ’ s ,” he explains . “ During that time , there was a huge increase in the amount of educational spaces that were being constructed . Now , 50 years later , even if you took the best care of those buildings , they ’ re twice their life expectancy . So , while many of them are still being renovated and maintained , the majority of them will need to be replaced .”
On top of this , Thompson also predicts the rise of multi-purpose classrooms - educational spaces which could go from a science lab to a business management class in a matter of minutes . This
will also redefine libraries which will become more purposeful , digital and space-conscious .
All in all , it seems that the education sector is in a period of flux . But with innovative construction projects in the pipeline and the aim of on-campus housing on the horizon , it seems UDC is well prepared for any changes that come its way .
“ We ’ ve coined a phrase about the changes that are happening here ,” says Thompson . “ It ’ s that we ’ re in transition from being UDC to becoming the University of the District of Columbia . I think that says a lot about the physical and cultural shift we ’ re going through right now .”
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