American University In Cairo Project and Construction Management

Client: American University in Cairo

Location: Cairo, Egypt

Map showing the location of American University In Cairo Project and Construction Management

Executive Summary

Fluor provided project and construction management services to the American University in Cairo (AUC) for its new 260-acre campus. Intended as a “City for Learning,” the campus was designed to serve an eventual student population of 7,000.

A central feature of the campus layout is the AUC Plaza, a commons around which the university buildings are grouped. Beyond the central area and academic and administrative buildings is the University Garden, which aesthetically separates the central campus from the physical plant and maintenance facilities and the desert that surrounds the campus. A continuous flow of movement occurs between the University Garden and the open space along the edge of the campus. Recreational resources include sports facilities, a small indoor coliseum, soccer fields and tennis courts.

Client's Challenge

The American University in Cairo wanted to relocate its main campus from Tahir Square in the heart of Cairo to the planned community of New Cairo, a development with a projected population of approximately 4 million people, located to the east of the Cairo suburbs of Heliopolis and Nasr City.

The 260-acre campus includes classrooms, administrative offices, a sports arena, a theater, dormitories and a student center, with a total build-out of 1.8 million square feet. Major components of the university include:

AUC Park and Square
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
School of Sciences and Engineering
School of Business, Economics, and Communication
Core Academic Program
Library and Learning Technologies
Campus Center
Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation
Student Housing
University Administration
Student Services
Information Center
Physical Plant
Service and Utility Tunnel
Presidential Housing Complex

Fluor's Solution

As program and construction manager, we were responsible for helping deliver the AUC project. In the near term, the new campus was built to accommodate a full-time student enrollment of 5,500, a size that the university expected to reach a few years after occupancy as the result of carefully planned incremental growth. The infrastructure was ultimately designed to serve a future 7,000 full-time students in addition to the university's faculty and staff.

The campus consists of academic, recreational, administrative, student services and maintenance buildings as well as student housing, connected by open space. The campus design reflects the nature of Egypt, providing a spacious, park-like setting for students and guests.

Conclusion

Fluor helped deliver to the American University in Cairo a beautifully designed 260-acre campus that will in the future serve up to 7,000 full-time students, faculty and staff.

We managed the relocation of the university from the center of Cairo to a planned community in New Cairo.

Various design themes for campus buildings combine to highlight organic changes that have occurred in the region over a period of centuries, dating back to medieval times. These developments, which include cultural, social, environmental and technological changes, shape the architecture, landscape and urban character of the campus.