Boise State Opens ESI Construction Management Building in Boise, Idaho

BOISE — Boise State University's Construction Management program finally has a building of its own. On Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, the university officially opened the ESI Construction Management Building with a ribbon-cutting on campus at Beacon Street and Manitou Avenue. The roughly 13,000-square-foot, mass-timber building opened to students for the fall 2026 semester.

It is the first time in the program's history that Construction Management students have had a dedicated home, according to Boise State.

What's inside the ESI Construction Management Building

Boise State says the building was designed as a living classroom, where the structure itself is part of the lesson. It includes:

- A large student collaboration area - A 40-seat computer lab - Dedicated Construction Management classrooms - Conference and competition team rooms - A 3,300-square-foot high bay with an overhead crane - A large outdoor learning area

The structural systems are left exposed so students can see how the building went together, Idaho Education News reported. Plexiglass in the floor lets students look down at the foundations, utility rooms have windows instead of plain doors, and QR codes on building systems explain how they work.

Boise State's first mass-timber building

Boise Cascade donated the timber, making this the first mass-timber building on the Boise State campus, according to Idaho Education News. Lombard Conrad Architects designed the project, and Engineered Structures, Inc. (ESI), the lead naming-rights supporter, led construction while working with many Construction Management alumni. Students took part in the build, including concrete pours, structural work and site management, Boise State said.

Even before it opened, the building earned a 2025 Outstanding Project Award from Learning By Design magazine.

Paid for by donors, not the state

More than 200 donors, including industry partners, alumni and foundations, paid for the building. The Arbiter reported the facility cost about $4 million and is the first educational building on campus fully funded by industry donations, with no state money.

"The ESI Construction Management Building is about the next generation of construction management leaders. You don't get a strong future by accident. You build it," ESI President and CEO Neil Nelson said at the opening, according to Boise State.

Why it matters for Idaho's construction workforce

Boise State says its Construction Management program has grown about 78% over the past five years. Department chair Anthony Perrenoud told Idaho Education News the program had about 300 students when the building was designed and now has 560. The Idaho Department of Labor expects more than 13,000 new construction jobs in the state by 2034, according to the same report.

More Boise growth news

Boise is building in a lot of places right now. Read about the Lusk District affordable housing project near Boise State, the 9th & Front ParkBOI garage upgrades downtown and the new McDevitt Youth Sports Complex amenities. Explore the Boise city guide, look for construction and building jobs, browse homes for sale in Boise or catch up on more Boise growth news. Thank you for reading Treasure Idaho.