The Methodist Hospital Research Institute Opens in Houston

The 440,000-sf Methodist Hospital Research Institute opened in Houston in January of 2011. Located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center (TMC), the 12-story facility is equipped with advanced technology to help research scientists, physicians, and engineers cure diseases through translational research. The project team included design architect Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and executive architect WHR Architects. The new facility contains six floors of open research space, housing a variety of laboratories and support spaces that combine to form a collaborative research facility for the study of a wide range of diseases including cancer, heart, and neurological diseases. Leveraging its physical connection to the hospital, the Research Institute pursues a “bench to bedside” approach that streamlines the process of translating laboratory research to treatments and cures for the patients. The building contains a full complement of highly advanced core facilities, including a full imaging and molecular imaging suite and even its own cyclotron. The new Research Institute’s massing expresses the internal functions of research offices along the curved façade to the east and the laboratories to the west. Common break-out areas connect the labs vertically, encouraging interdisciplinary communication and providing opportunities for informal gatherings. Bridge connections to the existing hospital are proposed at several floors to facilitate translational research and a sense of professional community. The building's location in the center of the Texas Medical Center has already made its auditorium a destination for meetings and presentations that extend beyond The Methodist Hospital to other institutions in the TMC and national organizations like the National Institutes of Health. The highly flexible design provides labs, offices, and amenities for 90 principal investigators as well as 800 post-docs, trainees, and staff. A generous driveway drop-off area enables the hospital to accommodate users of both the Research Institute and the existing and expanded hospital. Adjacent to the lobby, a comprehensive imaging suite is easily accessible and connects back to the main hospital. A distinctive stair connects the two-story lobby with second floor pre-function, conference, and auditorium spaces. A prominent terrace at level 12 is adjacent to facilities for faculty presentations. While the design accommodates all laboratory needs and support facilities, and serves all intended purposes, it is designed to accommodate expansion and anticipates the needs of future lead researchers yet to be recruited and projects yet to be conceived.