Having completed nearly $500 million in construction between 2009 and 2013, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind., picked up the pace in 2014 with more than $700 million in projects under design or construction, providing a boost to local builders, even as they scramble to fill their ranks with the labor required to meet Notre Dame's aggressive, campus-wide program.

In all, current and planned work amounts to 1.3 million square feet. In addition to the $88-million McCourtney Hall, an interdisciplinary research center, and the $400-million Campus Crossroads, a 750,000-sq-ft project that will locate three academic and student life facilities along the facade of Notre Dame Stadium, projects include:

• $100 million in renovations to Hesburgh Library
• An $80 million complex to house social sciences and international institutes.
• A new $39.6 million home for the University's School of Architecture.
• A pair new undergraduate residence halls collectively valued at $40 million.

The common denominator are facilities that extend a 173-year tradition of distinguished architecture while incorporating the cutting-edge systems and spaces required to support advanced academic programs and an abiding commitment to the environment.

In 2008, Notre Dame founded an Office of Sustainability to address systems and activities as varied as power generation, design and construction, waste reduction, procurement, food service, transportation and water. It has since executed the majority of its projects in accordance with LEED specifications.

Additionally, Notre Dame is actively seeking to reduce CO2 emissions originating from power generation, the goal being to reduce emissions by 50% per square foot by 2030. Programs relating to the initiative include incorporation of cleaner energy to achieve decarbonization.

For its contributions to academia, the environment and the success of local building trades, ENR Midwest has named University of Notre Dame the region's Owner of the Year.

You can read more about University of Notre Dame and its construction program in the March 30 edition of ENR Midwest, which also will feature a list of the region's top project starts for 2014, as measured by construction costs.