Arizona State University’s new Wilson Hall has been honored with the Best Project award in the Higher Education and Research category of Engineering News-Record Mountain States and Southwest’s annual Southwest Best Projects competition.

The building — designed by RSP Architects and built by Holder Construction — opened in August 2024 on the Tempe campus. It spans approximately 178,000 gross square feet and includes 19 state-of-the-art classrooms, a suite for Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services, research and observation rooms and flexible instructional and office space.

Wilson Hall’s design also features a distinctive exterior — the top three floors overhang the lower two — creating shaded walkways around the building perimeter. An open “canyon” on the ground floor allows pedestrian flow through without entering the building.

Renovation of underground utility tunnels around 1,000 linear feet also ensures more reliable and sustainable infrastructure. The project reflects ASU’s commitment to innovation, accessibility and student success. The building received LEED Gold certification earlier this year.

Arizona State University landscape architect Byron Sampson was recently named a 2025 Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects — one of the highest honors in the field.

Sampson is one of 50 landscape architects nationwide to receive the distinction this year. The honor recognizes exceptional contributions to the profession through works, leadership, service and innovation.

Over his 45-year career — including 16 years at ASU — Sampson has led transformative design initiatives related to sustainability and a connection to place. Since joining the university in 2009, he has helped reshape ASU campuses by developing designs rooted in the Sonoran Desert.

His work has guided major open space projects, including the Cactus Garden at Biodesign C and the rehabilitation of Palm Walk on the Tempe campus.

“I’m incredibly proud to help protect and create sites of memory that shape how students experience the university, physically and mentally,” Sampson said. “This honor reflects the work of our team and ASU’s leadership in sustainable site development.”

In addition to his work at ASU, Sampson serves on two national boards — the Black Landscape Architects Network and the Association of University Landscape Architects.

Sampson will be formally inducted into the ASLA Council of Fellows at next month’s 2025 Conference on Landscape Architecture.

In the newly released Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, or STARS, from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Arizona State University was rated as a “top performer” in its 2025 Sustainable Campus Index.

Read the full story at ASU News.

Arizona State University has installed five new AI-powered "Oscar Sort" devices on its four campuses to help community members figure out their trash.

Read the full story at ASU News.

Arizona State University's new West Valley academic and office building debuts this fall as one of the largest learning spaces on the campus, reflecting ASU’s commitment to serve its community.

Read the full story at ASU News.

On Arizona State University's Tempe campus, more than 800 first-year students moved into the new seven-story Mill Avenue residence featuring suite-style rooms, dining, classroom and office spaces, and indoor-outdoor common areas.

Read the full story at ASU News.

With the opening of Novus Place this year, the entire Novus Innovation Corridor project is about one-third complete. Altogether, Novus is projected to create more than 34,000 jobs with more than $2 billion in wages and $4.6 billion in economic output.

Read more at ASU News.

Arizona State University continues its commitment to sustainability with two more construction projects earning Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certifications.

The new Wilson Hall academic building received LEED Gold certification, and the renovation of Bateman Physical Sciences Center D and E wings earned LEED Silver recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC assesses the sustainability of structures based on their construction, design, maintenance and operations.

The five-story, 178,000-square-foot Wilson Hall, located in the heart of the Tempe campus, incorporates sustainable features such as active chilled beam cooling, daylight-responsive lighting controls and high-performance glazing to reduce heat gain. The design of the building optimized the structure’s performance for the desert climate.

Renovations to Bateman Hall’s research labs and classrooms on the Tempe campus focused on improving energy use and system performance. Construction tightness and automated monitored control system management provide interior air control for space conditioning, while facade improvements include high-efficiency windows.

ASU now has 78 LEED-certified building projects — eight Platinum, 38 Gold, 31 Silver and one certified — across its campuses and locations. Since 2005, ASU has pursued LEED Silver certification at minimum for new construction and renovations.

Orange Street improvements on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus will create a new entryway designed to expand the pedestrian mall area and reduce vehicle traffic.

The project at the intersection of Orange Street and McAllister Avenue runs through Aug. 1, 2025. Once complete, vehicular traffic entering Orange Street will be limited to delivery, emergency and ASU vehicles. The Orange Street entryway will be closed to all traffic during construction.

All public traffic can access buildings and parking lots 27 and 41 along Orange Street through the Memorial Union Service route to the south.

Follow Facilities Development and Management on the social media platform X for construction updates. Email Parking and Transportation Services for questions regarding access to the new Orange Mall entryway.

Four Arizona State University projects were finalists at Arizona Forward’s 43rd Annual Environmental Excellence Awards this spring, recognizing outstanding projects in sustainability and design.

Biodesign Institute Building C earned an Award of Distinction in the landscape design category. The buildings and structures category highlighted Wilson Hall, Fusion on First and the Media and Immersive eXperience Center.

Biodesign C, a state-of-the-art research facility completed in 2018 on the eastern gateway of the Tempe campus, received distinct recognition for linking microbiology and health research disciplines within the building to the natural landscape that inspires the research.

In collaboration with Trueform Landscape Architecture Studio, ASU Facilities Development and Management designed a landscape that reinforces the university’s commitment to sustainability. Rainwater from the building’s roof is evenly distributed across the site, reducing potable water use while developing desert plant and tree species in the area.

These ASU projects were among 49 finalists from across Arizona this year, showcasing the most innovative and transformative environmental initiatives.