Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 J U LY 2 3 , 2 0 1 8 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / D E S I G N UMA architecture program nears accreditation B y R e n e e C o r d e s The University of Maine at Augusta is up for initial accreditation this fall as the only professionally accredited architecture degree program in Maine, and the only public undergraduate one in New England, according to Eric Stark, UMA's architecture program coordinator and an associate professor. The program began more than 30 years ago as a two-year associate degree before becoming a four-year pre-professional degree in 2004 and a fi ve-year pro- fessional degree in 2013. As of July 11, the incomi ng class is 15 students and represents "the strongest application pool we have seen" in the bachelor of architecture program, Stark told Mainebiz. In-state students make up 72% of the incoming class, in round num- bers, while 13% are from out of state and 13% are international, from Ethiopia and India. The incoming class is 47% female. Stark said the school aims to increase the total number of students in the program initially to 30 and then ideally to 80 or 90 over the next few years. He added that the accreditation process is lengthy, and that a fi nal decision may come in April 2019. UMA's art and architecture programs are housed in Handley Hall on Water Street in downtown Augusta. rchitecture has long been a male-dominated profession. But, as Renee Cordes reports in our cover story, which starts on Page 16, that is changing in Maine. Maine's largest architecture firm, SMRT, is run by Ellen Belknap, and now more women are coming up through the ranks. Another shift that's taking place is demographic: As more churches lose their congregations, those churches are becoming real estate developments. For examples, see Maureen Milliken's story on Page 24. In Ellsworth, the expansion of Jackson Laboratory is creating a need for housing — and, as Laurie Schreiber reports, developers are heeding the call. S TA R T I N G O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » A Jackson Lab expansion comes with daycare B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r Jackson Lab's expansion in Ellsworth doesn't just mean more employees. It means more families. To accommodate an expected ramp- up in the need for daycare, Jackson Lab partnered with the Down East Family YMCA in Ellsworth. The lab leased a vacant commercial space on Beechland Road, funded renovation, and turned it over to the Y for manage- ment. In exchange, lab employees get fi rst preference for available spots. The general public can use any spots left open. The center, capable of serving more than 70 children from infants through preschoolers, opened last November. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A I N E A U G U S TA R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y JA C K S O N L A B JAX's Ellsworth expansion

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