A Time Traveler's Walk Through CU Boulder

2025

Campus Snapshot

Buildings

Gross Sq Ft

Assignable SF

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Efficiency

Cumulative Growth

Funding Mix

Legend

Building Use

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2025

Deep Analytics & Insights

A data-driven exploration of 150 years of campus evolution — from a single building on the frontier prairie to a 13-million-square-foot research powerhouse spanning 9 zones.

Cumulative Growth Over 150 Years

Dual-axis view: buildings (gold) and total square footage (blue) since 1876

Buildings Per Decade

New construction count by decade

Square Footage Per Decade

Total new gross area by decade

Building Use By Era

Stacked breakdown of building types across each historical era

Avg Building Size By Era

Mean square footage trends across campus eras

Space Efficiency Analysis

Assignable vs. gross square footage — bubble size = total area

Funding Distribution

Ownership breakdown by funding source

Top 15 Largest Buildings

The campus giants ranked by gross square footage

Campus Zones

Building count and total area per campus zone

Growth Rate by Decade

Percentage growth in total buildings compared to previous decade

Era Composition Profile

Radar profile of each era's building mix across use categories

Building Age Distribution

How old are campus buildings today? Distribution by construction year

Key Milestones

Defining moments in CU Boulder's 150-year campus story