University of Massachusetts Medical School Constructs New Education and Research Building

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is constructing the $325 million New Education and Research Building in Worcester. Designed by ZGF Architects and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge, the 350,000-sf facility will house the departments of neurology and neurobiology, a gene therapy center, and programs in animal research, molecular medicine, and human genetics and evolutionary biology. Accommodating 77 principal investigators, the nine-story structure will include an FDA-compliant manufacturing center for clinical trial therapeutics. The future-facing project will also provide instructional venues capable of serving larger class sizes to address the shortage of physicians, nurses, and health science professionals in the commonwealth and the nation.

Illuminated by abundant natural light, the collaborative facility will offer a variety of social spaces connected by active circulation routes to enhance interaction and promote occupant wellbeing. Targeting LEED Gold certification and net-zero energy performance, the New Education and Research Building will feature a double-skin façade, geothermal heat pumps, and highly efficient mechanical systems. Shawmut Design and Construction is the general contractor for the project, which broke ground in early 2021 with occupancy expected in 2024.