IMO most of modern commercial and institutional architecture is ugly or at best nondescript.
It can be pleasing when new but tends not to age well. Industrial materials generally do not develop a patina of age. Modern structures can look dated and sometimes decrepit within a few decades (instead of looking more and more interesting, mysterious or charming).
UChicago’s Regenstein Library is a pretty ugly structure, but in an interesting way, and it does serve its purpose well (without looking any uglier over time than it already is). This is the modern bargain we’ve bought into in. We want buildings to deliver the greatest functional benefit at the lowest possible cost, without any unnecessary embellishment. If we reach a point where we can 3D print a building and erect it in a couple days, so much the better.
Liberal arts college campuses are nearly the last vestiges of traditional village life in America, so that’s where I’d look for a combination of technical innovation (for energy efficiency) and efficient yet beautiful vernacular style, on a human scale. I think some of the best inspirations for this in modern structures are in Scandinavian vernacular or Shaker buildings. These generally are residential or small-scale institutional structures. Maybe something like the Franklin Environmental Science Center at Middlebury College is a good example. As I recall, Bennington College does a good job of integrating rural vernacular style. It wouldn’t translate well to a large urban university.
For large, urban campuses, it might be nice if more architects would try to incorporate allusions, whimsy, or humor (along the lines of Denver International Airport or some of the more understated Frank Gehry structures, perhaps).