By Weiran Li ’23 and Xinyi Luo
Student Media Center
The third-floor walkway in the Academic Building has long been a good spot to watch the sunrise. Now it’s an ideal place to witness a new dawn for Duke Kunshan ‘ phase 2 construction of the university’s high-tech campus.
Since breaking ground on the campus expansion project in August 2019, contractors have ‘topped out’ 17 of the 22 new buildings, signifying that the structures have reached maximum height.
These buildings comprise the visitor center, eight undergraduate residence halls, six employee centers, the graduate building, and the Wuhan University-Duke Research Institute.
Click to enlarge these aerial images of phase 2 of the Duke Kunshan campus.
Duke Kunshan’s campus expansion project stretches almost 47 acres (189,334 square meters) to the east of phase one. The total floor covers 37 acres (153,182 square meters) including 387,500 square feet (36,000 square meters) of basement.
In addition to the 17 buildings so far topped out, phase 2 also includes a library, community center, and advanced sports facilities.
Once work is complete next year, the Duke Kunshan campus will be able to accommodate 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students as well as 800 faculty and staff.
Watch as Student Media Center fellow Weiran Li ’23 receives a tour of Duke Kunshan’s campus expansion project. She learns about the layout and looks inside the new employee center.
Safety a No. 1 priority
Duke Kunshan suspended work on phase 2 in January 2020 in response to the Covid-19 emergency. Since returning onsite in late February, contractors have followed strict environmental health and safety (EHS) guidelines on personal protective equipment, known as the ‘rule of five’ ‘ helmet, reflective vest, gloves, boots and goggles.
Work safety and disease control have been a key focus for Peter Jin, the university’s senior director of construction management and planning. In his regular briefings with construction workers, he reminds them repeatedly to comply with EHS protocols, protect themselves, and to prevent accidents.
Meanwhile, site managers have introduced strict disease prevention measures, including daily health screenings, while key personnel have all received emergency response training.
Left: A worker sprays to disinfect common areas, part of strict environmental health and safety measures onsite. Right: Representatives from the Kunshan Hi-tech Zone Planning and Construction Bureau visit the phase 2 construction site to distribute supplies in July 2020.
Campus for the future
As with phase 1, phase 2 will incorporate elements of local culture while representing the latest thinking in design for teaching and learning at a global liberal arts university. Designed by Perkins & Will, an internationally renowned architectural firm, the central landscape reflects the architectural strengths of both American and Chinese campuses.
In addition, as Duke Kunshan is committed to creating an environmentally friendly campus, phase 2’s green coverage ratio will be 35 percent. Upon its expected completion in June 2022, the university will be the only campus in China to receive overall LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Take a virtual tour to learn more about Duke Kunshan’s unique campus environment.
