Advocacy to Action: Science Building Breaks Ground
Massasoit Community College has broken ground on the first phase of its Transformation Through Renovation (TTR) Project. All images: Courtesy of Massasoit Community College
Massasoit Community College has officially broken ground on the first phase of its $52 million Transformation Through Renovation (TTR) Project—a 26,000-sf science building that will redefine STEM education on its campus in Brockton, MA. This marks the college’s first major academic renovation since 1978 and the start of a two-phase effort that will also produce a new Health Science Building by 2027.
While the groundbreaking is a milestone, the real story lies in the years of planning, advocacy, and community engagement that shaped this project—and the lessons it offers to other institutions pursuing their own laboratory renovations.
Advocacy and a shift in strategy
For years, Massasoit sought state funding for new science and health facilities. Multiple proposals stalled, including plans for new construction off-campus or on unused campus land. The project finally gained state approval when leaders reframed it as a major renovation rather than a ground-up build.
“Feedback from the Commonwealth has been clear—they were greatly pleased by the plan to renovate. Renovations not only save money, but they are environmentally sustainable,” says Alex Villanueva, executive director of communications & marketing at Massasoit Community College. “Advice to other institutions—work within the resources and tools you have and stay true to your mission. Affordability and sustainability are important values by which Massasoit lives. This project, though ambitious, is designed to be cost-friendly and sustainable.”
That sustainability-first mindset helped win the financial backing of the governor’s administration and cemented the project as a model for cost-effective, environmentally responsible campus transformation.
A clear case for investment
Massasoit secured state funding by reframing its long-planned science and health facilities as a cost-effective, sustainability-focused renovation, earning praise and financial support as a model for environmentally responsible campus transformation.
The college’s biotech partnerships and research reputation were also central to the pitch. Over the last two decades, Massasoit has cultivated strong connections with companies like Blueprint Medicines, Alnylam, and Siemens, as well as nearby research universities.
Through its STEM advisory board, industry voices directly informed the lab design—and validated to state partners that upgraded facilities were vital to keeping the Commonwealth’s STEM pipeline strong. Lab design project team members also proved invaluable in translating those industry needs into practical, future-ready features that would prepare students for real-world laboratory environments.
“DCAMM, Jones Architecture, and Studio Luz have all worked with Massachusetts Higher Education partners before and are extremely aware of and responsive to the needs of each institution. Throughout the planning and design process, we have consistently stressed the need for lab spaces that are accessible for all learning styles and welcoming for students who are traditionally apprehensive about STEM courses, and Jones Architecture and Studio Luz have been extremely mindful of that,” says dean of STEM Katie Ruggieri, PhD. “We have also emphasized the need for a functioning undergraduate research lab that can accommodate our native pollinator research project, as well as training in our new micro-credentials for life sciences technicians, and they have not only met but exceeded our needs in that area as well..”
Ground-up input from faculty, students, and staff
Unlike many academic building projects, where top-down visions dominate, the TTR planning process embedded end user voices at every step. Faculty input shaped both major design moves and smaller, high-impact features.
“The faculty and staff of Massasoit’s STEM division have been instrumental in ensuring that the design of the new building and the spaces within it meet the needs of both the students and those teaching them,” says Ruggieri. “I had the pleasure of joining the Massasoit staff in January of 2023; prior to that time, my predecessor, dean Doug Brown, served as the point person for soliciting faculty and staff input. This has resulted in a design plan that truly meets the needs of our students, teachers, and the local community. Examples of this include the design of the new greenhouse with attached space for bringing in external samples and hanging waders, a research lab with a separate cell culture space, and hidden storage behind whiteboards to ensure that floors and benchtops are clear for learning.”
Students were equally engaged—despite some of them knowing they would graduate before the building opened. “At several points, the design team met with students in small and large groups to get their valued feedback,” Villanueva says. “Students were excited at the chance to participate.”
This engagement model was so effective that Jones Architecture and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) have begun presenting it as a case study for other institutions, Villanueva adds: “The project’s community engagement framework has already been presented and shared in workshop form to help others learn from our successes in this area.”
Borrowing and adapting the best ideas
Benchmarking visits inspired Massasoit to adopt flexible features like movable lab benches, drop-down outlets, and hidden storage that enhance adaptability, accessibility, and efficient use of teaching spaces.
Benchmarking visits to peer institutions yielded ideas that have already proven valuable in higher education labs—and will now serve Massasoit’s unique needs. Movable lab benches, drop-down electrical outlets, and storage behind whiteboards all made the cut.
These choices weren’t just about aesthetics or convenience; they’re strategic. Movable benches and overhead utilities give faculty flexibility in course delivery and allow spaces to adapt to changing teaching styles and research needs. Hidden storage keeps walkways clear and maximizes usable work areas.
“Visiting other institutions during our benchmarking process helped our team to decide on what would work best for us and what would not. Examples of ideas that we adopted into our design included movable lab benches, drop-down electrical outlets, and storage behind white boards. Moveable lab benches and drop-down electrical outlets lend more flexibility to our teaching spaces, both in terms of types of courses that can be taught, as well as in the manner they are taught day to day, and in accessibility for different styles of learners. Increased storage space behind white boards allows for the clearance of walking spaces and for storage of items that might otherwise have crowded valuable teaching spaces when not in use,” says Ruggieri.
Supporting a signature research program
The building will house the college’s decade-long Native Pollinator research project, a point of pride and a draw for prospective students. The new facilities will offer a dedicated cell culture room, improved collaborative microscope stations, and lab benches designed for both individual and team work.
“With the input of our invaluable advisory board partners, [the lab] has been designed to mimic what students can expect to see in the workplace,” says Ruggieri. “For the first time, we will have a separate cell culture room and lab benches that can better support collaborative microscope work, sample preparation, etc. The team at Jones Architecture and the designers with Studio Luz have worked with many colleges and research institutions before and have an excellent grasp of what makes a space both inviting and best suited for learning. They were also extremely receptive to what our faculty and staff who teach and work in those spaces wanted and needed.”
Designing for belonging and accessibility
Massasoit’s inclusive design fosters collaboration and accessibility with flexible, student-centered labs and inviting spaces, while lessons learned emphasize flexibility, stakeholder engagement, and adaptability to align facilities with mission and community needs.
Inclusive design principles have been baked into the project from the outset, with a focus on making spaces that inspire and welcome students—especially those who may have been intimidated by STEM fields in the past.
“Given how much more we know now about student learning styles, accessibility, and inclusive teaching pedagogies, these new spaces will truly transform the learning environment for our students,” Ruggieri says. “Lab benches will no longer exist in long, horizontal rows, where students sit shoulder to shoulder but instead foster true collaboration among students by all facing a center core, allowing for face-to-face conversation, or by being made moveable with drop-down versus fixed electric so that the benches can be configured based on the needs of what is being taught in that space.”
Other features like ample natural light, large windows, whiteboard-rich walls, and inviting study commons aim to match the atmosphere of major research institutions, signaling to students that their education is equally serious and valuable.
Challenges and lessons learned
While the project has proceeded without major surprises, Ruggieri has distilled several takeaways for others embarking on similar efforts:
Make backup plans, then backup plans for those backup plans
Involve all stakeholders as much as possible and truly listen to what they have to say; you may be missing a key piece of information that no one has even considered
Be flexible when you can—costs of things will change, as will availability of items, and the timeline still needs to be adhered to
Make spaces as multifunctional and flexible as possible
Solicit advice from advisory board members and other industry partners
These insights reflect the realities of multi-year capital projects, where budgets shift, supply chains disrupt, and unexpected staffing needs arise, such as accommodating new STEM hires in the building mid-planning.
For Massasoit, the TTR Project is about far more than new bricks and mortar. It’s about aligning facilities with mission, industry needs, and community aspirations—and doing so in a way that maximizes input, adaptability, and long-term impact.
