Auburn University Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center

The Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is one of the most exciting new construction projects in the Southeast, blending academic, hospitality and retail spaces into a marquee location on the Auburn University campus.

The academic spaces consist of a teaching restaurant, culinary teaching kitchens, wine appreciation center, distilled beverages center, brewery and classroom spaces. The hospitality spaces feature high-end hotel rooms, living units, fitness center, spa, roof top event center, roof top garden and roof top pool. The RCSC also includes an expansive food hall with numerous vendor spaces for tastes of all types.

The 142,000-square-foot complex promotes immersive learning experiences for students pursuing careers in hospitality and culinary sciences. Students will have the opportunity to train alongside world-renowned chefs and hospitality. This hands-on instructional atmosphere offers students tangible experiences and equips them with the vital skills they need to evolve into future industry leaders.

Overcoming A Utility Challenge
The greatest challenge for the University was bypassing time-intensive utility relocations and keeping the overall project schedule on track with so many moving parts. To help resolve these issues, HPM scoped out and managed the bidding of a separate utility and enabled a works package for the building contractor. Our team of experts deployed best practices learned from similar complex projects in the early pre-planning stages. Sharing our knowledge base from extensive experience in higher education and hospitality construction management with our project partners facilitated collaboration, reduced project costs, and maximized value for the university.