This article has been updated since its original publication for accuracy and clarification. The previous version incorrectly referred to a program in the College of Human Sciences and included the wrong date for project completion.
With the expansion of Auburn’s educational and technological sectors, the College of Human Sciences is set to break ground on its new academic and research facility this January. The Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility is projected to be an innovative new complex, hosting multiple programs in interior design, apparel design and merchandising, as well as human development family science and nutritional sciences.
A visionary and deeply logistical construction schedule is underway. After over 12 years of contemplation, discussion and research, this facility was finally launched as an official capital project earlier this year. Additionally, the project received its third and final board approval during the September 2024 meeting and is scheduled to be put out for bid by the end of the calendar year.
With a total project budget of $100 million, this building will rise on the former site of Spidle Hall, serving as a landmark at the heart of campus and extending from Mell Street to Roosevelt Drive. Following the scheduled demolition of Spidle Hall this fall, the new facility will surpass its predecessor in size, encompassing roughly 138,000 square feet of state-of-the-art space. The building will be completed and ready for use in the Fall 2027 semester. Before occupation, the project must also undergo procedures such as building commissioning and furniture installation.
Mary Melissa Taddeo, Director of Capital Projects Studio, states that the team is still in the design phase.
This development will be designed to set a learning environment ushering in academic excellence, competitive research, interdisciplinary collaboration and multipurpose facilities for students and professors alike. Taddeo comments on this unique aspect as well as the benefit of having faculty in one building, something Spidle Hall was lacking.
"This facility will bring the College of Human Sciences departments under one roof, which will foster collaboration amongst their faculty and staff. Currently, the departments are dispersed in multiple buildings on campus - which can make active collaboration a challenge," Taddeo said. "Bringing everyone together will foster organic connections."
Extensive project coordination has guided the planning of this new facility. Earlier this year, the College of Education opened its new building, creating vacancies in Haley Center that will temporarily house the students and administration of the College of Human Sciences until the construction of the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility is complete. Due to the efficiency of this development process being aligned with other campus projects as previously mentioned, Taddeo notes that the schedule of construction has been executed extremely quickly. This research and academic facility is on an accelerated trajectory to becoming a defining cornerstone of learning and innovation for Auburn University.
Not only will the research facility transcend the College of Human Sciences facilities in physical size, but it will also transform the learning environment through influential infrastructure and specialized facilities. Taddeo shares the specific details of the new building, such as the interior design studios
"It has the full complement of classrooms and teaching labs. A lot of human science classrooms are less traditional classrooms than they are workshops," Taddeo said. "The interior design workshops are a great example of that."
These unique spaces will also serve as an attractive feature for prospective students, as tours inside the building begin upon the completion of the construction.
"It's those unique types of spaces that are actually put on display," Taddeo said. "[...] The building will be used as a recruiting tool, having prospective students tour through the building and see all the great work that the College does."
Centered to be a pillar of academic excellence and a centerpiece for talented work, the Barbara Drummond Thorne Academic and Research Facility is designed to foster collaboration and growth for both the College of Human Sciences, as well as the broader Auburn community.
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