Temple University’s 20/20 framework for campus development is coming swiftly into focus, with several major projects reaching milestones this semester.

Signs of progress are evident throughout Main Campus.

At the northern end, architecture students and faculty have been working in their bright new building on 13th Street since January. The move doubled the department’s space from the home they had shared within the College of Engineering since the 1970s and gave both academic areas room to grow.

Further south, on Broad Street, the transformation of Pearson and McGonigle halls into a modern recreation center is nearly complete. The buildings’ gleaming glass facade is a highly visible symbol of the university’s plans to feed the energy of the city’s northern thoroughfare.

To the east, a dirt lot has been cleared and leveled to make way for a modern parking garage. When complete in spring 2013, the structure will alleviate street parking in the neighborhoods surrounding campus and create retail opportunities along with increased pedestrian traffic in the area.

And at the southern end of Main Campus, the first floors of the university’s new student residence hall complex have blossomed with the early spring. The mixed-use facility will offer students a first-rate living environment and create numerous avenues for social interaction and engagement.

Other initiatives are drawing closer to a public debut. Construction will begin later this spring on a new seven-story Science Education and Research Center in the interior of Main Campus. And programming and design work will start soon for a modern library that will stand next to Pearson-McGonigle on Broad Street, taking its place as the center of academic life.

A similar planning initiative is underway at the Health Sciences Center, and university officials have been meeting with representatives of organizations throughout North Central Philadelphia to ensure efforts are integrated to best meet the needs of the community.

The plan represents an investment in Temple’s future at a time when the university can take advantage of lower costs for construction services and materials. The projects are being funded through a combination of bond proceeds, private donations, state capital funding and university reserves.

“Temple 20/20 is really about ensuring that Temple optimally supports our students and faculty in their efforts to learn, discover and make a difference in the world,” said James P. Creedon, Temple’s senior vice president for construction, facilities and operations. “By improving the overall environment, we are creating a place in which people can learn from and about each other as part of the greater university community.”

Below is additional detail on selected construction projects:

Architecture Building

Opened in January, this striking new $12 million building supports the unique needs of architecture students and faculty by enabling collaboration and interaction in professional-quality space. An innovative glass curtain wall exterior “skin” allows daylight into interior studios and classrooms and provides dynamic views of the surrounding area. The open floor plan enables ample space for group work, especially important in a learning environment customized for design students.

Pearson-McGonigle Renovation

Work is nearing completion on the major addition and renovation of the university’s dated recreational facilities to create one modern center. The facility includes new and renovated training and support spaces for recreation services and NCAA sports, practice and training facilities for men’s and women’s basketball, five full basketball courts for students, rock climbing, a juice bar and new academic and advising space. The renovation has created a more vibrant and engaging presence for Temple student life by replacing the buildings’ concrete facades with expansive areas of glass that allow views of Broad Street. The $58 million renovation represents a commitment to the quality of experience for students, athletes, coaches and staff members by providing space for training, competing, learning or socializing.

New Student Residences

Construction work is well underway on the new residence life complex at Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Projected to open in summer 2013, the facility will include student residences; shared lobby areas; all-glass, two-story lounges with views of Center City; dining facilities; meeting rooms and event spaces; a major open landscape area; a restaurant; and a coffee shop. The project will create a dynamic entryway to campus from the south, strengthening Temple’s presence on Broad Street while allowing more residential students to live on campus — with incredible views of the city skyline. The $216 million facility will be 660,000 square-feet, with 1,275 beds in a 26-story tower, plus a seven-story mid-rise.

Science Education and Research Center

Construction will begin later this spring on a new seven-story facility that will serve as a visible representation of Temple’s commitment to science education and research. When opened in 2014, the building will support specialized research and instruction with technology-enhanced lecture halls, flexible classrooms and research labs that are designed to enable collaboration and hands-on exploration in science and technology. Located in close proximity to other research facilities in the Bio-life building and the College of Engineering, it will provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, further strengthening Temple’s research capability.