Barton Malow takes a deep dive into precon tech to build MSU a new kind of academic environment, on budget

Michigan State University partnered with Barton Malow to deliver the $340M, 265,700 SF Engineering and Digital Innovation Center—a state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary hub for six colleges. The challenge: replace a 65-year-old facility with a flexible, future-ready environment while staying within the University’s strict budget.

To meet that challenge, Barton Malow relied on Join, the leading preconstruction and design phase management platform. With Join, the team centralized decision-making, aligned diverse stakeholders, and managed costs in real time. A breakthrough came with Join Scenarios, which allowed the GC, designers, and MSU stakeholders to model multiple options, visualize trade-offs, and reach consensus without slowing progress.

With Join, Barton Malow and MSU:

• Balanced ambitious program requirements against a $340M target budget
• Gave owners and stakeholders real-time visibility into design and cost impacts
• Streamlined collaboration across architects, trades, and end users
• Delivered smarter, faster decisions that kept the project on track

Download the full case study to see how Join powered one of the nation’s most complex higher-ed projects, transforming preconstruction into a strategic advantage for MSU.

“Join helped the design team stay within targeted budgets. This improved the design process immensely. I find Join invaluable.”

Jeff Bonk

Project Delivery Manager, MSU

Read the full case study