LSU Announces Catalytic Gift and Recognizes Generosity Through Naming of Art Favre School of Construction, Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building

School named for alumnus of LSU’s inaugural construction technology (now construction management) graduating class, founder and owner of Performance Contractors 

LSU announced today the naming of the Art Favre School of Construction within the College of Engineering and the naming of the future Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building, recognizing the transformative generosity and longstanding commitment of LSU alumnus Art Favre and the success and impact of the company he founded.

The namings honor Art Favre’s landmark philanthropic investments in LSU’s College of Engineering through gifts to the LSU Foundation, including a new transformational gift establishing an unrestricted endowment in support of the Art Favre School of Construction and a previously announced $15 million leadership gift for the Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building. The dual namings also reflect Favre’s personal and professional connections to LSU construction education and his commitment to investing in the future of the industry. His support as a donor, a volunteer and an advocate for the program is centered on securing LSU’s leadership role in construction education and research while strengthening opportunities for students to gain the knowledge and experience needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving field.

Favre said, “I had the unique experience of being part of the first graduating class in LSU’s construction management program. Many of us have built locally based companies with national reach, and the skills and relationships we forged at LSU made our success possible. The importance of the construction industry to Louisiana, the Gulf Coast and our nation continues to grow. I’m proud of what our team has built at Performance Contractors, and I see this as an investment in both our company’s legacy and Louisianans’ shared future.”

As an endowment, Favre’s newest investment will ensure consistent support for the Art Favre School of Construction year after year in perpetuity, providing sustained resources to be both nimble and strategic in seizing emerging opportunities and meeting immediate needs. Together, his giving advances a broader vision for LSU to become the nation’s preeminent leader in construction education, engineering, advanced manufacturing and workforce development:

• Louisiana is the construction leader in the Gulf South and ranks 40% above the national average for construction gross domestic product.
• The state is home to one of the country’s most concentrated hubs of industrial construction, with many of the nation’s leading contractors headquartered within a few miles of LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge.
• With over 7,000 miles of coastline, a significant port system and a robust oil and gas sector, Louisiana is also a coastal and energy infrastructure leader.

“We are positioning LSU to lead in fields that are essential to Louisiana and our nation, and the construction industry is at the forefront,” said LSU President Wade Rousse. “Art Favre’s generosity is an investment in Louisiana and in the people who will build its future. The Art Favre School of Construction and the Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building will carry that investment forward for generations.”

The School of Construction, one of only a handful housed within a college of engineering in the United States, was approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents earlier this year and builds on LSU’s longstanding strength in construction management and engineering. The Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management, housed within the school, graduates more construction professionals annually than any school in the nation. To attract even more students to LSU, college leaders have created two new bachelor of science degree programs—construction engineering and fire and emergency services administration—and are exploring new undergraduate degree programs in digital construction and modular manufacturing. They are also developing plans to hire faculty talent clusters in automation and robotics, digital twins and AI-enabled project delivery, resilient and low-carbon materials, and jobsite tools for construction professionals who work in the field.

As a powerhouse complement, this new school will be housed in a purpose-built facility: The Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building will serve as a hub for construction, engineering and advanced manufacturing, creating capacity for research and education tied to emerging technologies and greater collaboration with industry. Groundbreaking is planned for 2027.

“Establishing the Art Favre School of Construction gives LSU an extraordinary opportunity to further elevate an already strong foundation and think much bigger about what construction education and research can become,” said LSU Executive Vice President & Chancellor Jim Dalton. “This school, coupled with the vision for the Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building, connects expertise across disciplines, creating new opportunities for students and faculty and strengthening LSU’s ability to turn research into solutions with real-world impact.”

The new school and building will bring together education, research and industry engagement to advance how America builds, creating opportunities to integrate construction with fields such as computer science, robotics, sensing and automation, advanced materials engineering and data science to deliver faster, safer, more sustainable projects across the country. Together, the school and building will deliver significant, positive impact by:

• Growing Louisiana’s high-wage workforce with stackable credentials and engineering degrees
• Increasing productivity and safety through the creation of new technologies
• Accelerating completion of critical infrastructure and reducing cost overruns
• Creating materials and methods that protect the Gulf Coast and support national energy goals
• Making construction more efficient and faster, leading to more affordable housing and an improved climate for business growth
• Building small businesses through tech transfer, testbeds and open standards

“Construction is becoming increasingly sophisticated, technology-driven and interdisciplinary, and LSU has an opportunity to create teaching and research programs that change how America builds,” said LSU College of Engineering Dean Vicki Colvin. “The Art Favre School of Construction allows us to connect our strengths across engineering, construction and advanced technologies. This can only happen through deep partnerships with industry professionals who understand firsthand the challenges our graduates will be called upon to solve, and the Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building will be the anchor for these partnerships.”

The future Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building will provide the physical infrastructure to advance LSU’s academic ambitions while expanding advanced manufacturing capabilities across the College of Engineering. Planned for South Stadium Drive across from Tiger Stadium, the 148,000-square-foot facility will become the new home for LSU’s construction programs and provide new and enhanced laboratory, faculty and active-learning spaces. This critical infrastructure project is pivotal to expanding LSU’s growing engineering corridor, ensuring that Louisiana remains a leader in industrial construction and manufacturing.

The $107 million project is supported through a public-private partnership, with a $65 million philanthropic fundraising goal and an investment of $42 million by the State of Louisiana. To date, donors to the LSU Foundation have contributed more than $52.6 million in support of the building. Favre has been both a lead investor and a champion, aiming to inspire others to join him as philanthropic partners in bringing it to life.

“Art Favre’s investment is a meaningful milestone that will greatly help LSU shape the future of construction,” said Chuck Berryman, chair of the Bert S. Turner Department of Construction Management. “The Art Favre School of Construction and the new building will bring students, faculty and industry partners together to advance automation, super intelligence and other technologies poised to transform the industry over the next several years. By connecting research, education and industry practice, we can accelerate innovation, improve productivity and safety, and prepare graduates to lead that transformation.”

LSU’s comprehensive approach focuses on bringing students and faculty together with construction and manufacturing partners, equipping graduates to enter the workforce prepared to lead while accelerating research with direct application to industry needs.

“What makes Art Favre’s generosity so remarkable is that he is investing in LSU’s future from every angle,” said LSU Foundation President & CEO Krista Raney. “His support will provide the Art Favre School of Construction with lasting, reliable resources to recruit and retain top talent and help create a home worthy of their ambitions. These namings are a fitting recognition of Art Favre’s extraordinary commitment to LSU, the success of Performance Contractors and the industry that has shaped his life.”

The LSU Foundation is actively partnering with alumni, friends and industry partners to secure the remaining $12.4 million needed to reach the philanthropic goal for the Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building. Visit lsufoundation.org/camb to be part of the momentum advancing LSU’s vision for nation-leading construction and advanced manufacturing impact.

Louisiana State University 
Rooted in Louisiana and reaching across the world, Louisiana State University educates and prepares future leaders, drives transformative research and innovation and translates knowledge into solutions that improve health, strengthen communities and expand human potential.

LSU Foundation 
The LSU Foundation, a public charity 501(c)3 organization, cultivates and invests in philanthropic partnerships to advance LSU’s academic priorities.

Performance Contractors 
Performance Contractors began as a merit shop general industrial contractor in 1979 and has since grown to provide full-service construction through all phases of the industrial construction process—from site prep through start-up. Performance serves a wealth of industries—from chemical and power, to automotive and refinery—with construction, turnaround and maintenance services that put safety and quality at the forefront of every project and decision. Performance is currently licensed to provide industrial construction, maintenance and turnaround services in 34 states across the country.