Academic Medical

Sheffield Hallam University is planning to construct the £14 million Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre in the United Kingdom. Designed by HLM Architects as a leading-edge research and development hub for the study of physical activity, the facility will feature a 3D gait analysis and scanning lab; an advanced sports pitch with cameras and tracking technologies; a 25-foot-high indoor lab; a manufacturing workshop; and physiological imaging and measuring suites.

The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education opened the $40 million, 102,000-sf College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith in July of 2017. Construction will begin in spring of 2018 on a $20 million, 60,000-sf health science building accommodating physician-assistant, master-nursing, and post-baccalaureate programs. Completion is expected in fall of 2020. A $6 million student housing complex will also be built. 

Virtual and augmented reality are bringing new learning experiences to today’s medical students—and their campuses. The building boom is part of a revolution in the way medicine is taught. Today, medical students often learn with sophisticated mannequins, computer models, and collaborative electronic projects. Now, some schools are taking the technology a step further, building immersive environments where the doctors, nurses, and dentists of tomorrow can experience real medical settings and explore human anatomy in three dimensions.

Vanderbilt University broke ground in June of 2017 on a $26.3 million expansion of the School of Nursing in Nashville. The five-story, 30,000-sf structure will house technology-rich classrooms, conference and seminar rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and a clinical simulation training lab. The project team includes Hastings Architecture Associates, civil engineer Barge Cauthen & Associates, mechanical and electrical engineer Smith Seckman Reid, and general contractor D.F. Chase.

University of Utah Health broke ground in late June of 2017 on the $132 million Ambulatory Care Complex in Salt Lake City. Featuring flexible outpatient clinic modules and advanced surgical suites, the 305,000-sf facility will also provide an additional 72 inpatient beds. Completion is expected by summer of 2019. The building is part of the Utah Health Campus Transformation Project, an initiative to optimize the integrated delivery of research, patient care, and medical education.

The RWJBarnabas Health Athletic Performance Center at Rutgers University is under construction in Piscataway, N.J. Supporting a world-class sports medicine program, the four-story, 295,000-sf facility will also include state-of-the-art practice facilities for men's and women's basketball, wrestling, and gymnastics. The collaboration includes RWJBarnabas becoming the exclusive health care provider for Rutgers Athletics, as well as developing and managing the sports medicine curriculum and research activities.

High Point University will complete construction in summer of 2017 on the $120 million Congdon Hall in High Point, N.C. Housing the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, the 224,000-sf facility will feature a human biomechanics and physiology lab, a virtual reality and clinical gait analysis lab, advanced simulation training suites, and standardized client areas for interprofessional education. Congdon Hall was designed to support a variety of pedagogical styles to promote collaborative learning.

The Huntsman Cancer Institute opened the $173 million Primary Children’s and Families’ Cancer Research Center in June of 2017 in Salt Lake City. Providing advanced genetic sequencing technologies, the six-story, 242,000-sf facility houses biomedical laboratories, space for clinical trials, administrative offices, and a vivarium. The center was designed by Architectural Nexus with Jacobsen Construction as general contractor. The Huntsman Cancer Institute is part of the University of Utah. 

The Province of Alberta will begin construction in fall of 2017 on the $1.4 billion Calgary Cancer Centre. Designed by Stantec and DIALOG, the project will provide over two million square feet of space for research, treatment, and educational services. The facility will offer 160 inpatient beds, 15 radiation vaults, outpatient clinics, research labs, a clinical trials unit, and a 1,650-stall underground parking garage. The construction manager for the design-build project is PCL Construction.

The University of Colorado will begin construction in July of 2018 on the $61.4 million William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center in Colorado Springs. Created in partnership with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, an affiliate of Centura Health, the 104,000-sf facility will provide classrooms, research labs, and clinics for sports medicine, imaging, pain management, athletic training, and physical and occupational therapy.

Texas Tech University broke ground in June of 2017 on a 200,000-sf expansion of the Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. The $86 million project includes construction of University Center, a new campus hub providing research labs, administrative offices, classrooms, and conference rooms. The project also involves the addition of anatomical science facilities, including a technology-rich gross anatomy lab, and more parking areas. Completion is expected in summer of 2019. 

The University of Minnesota is planning to build the $109 million Health Sciences Education Center in Minneapolis. Designed by Perkins+Will, the project includes the creation of a new 142,100-sf facility and renovation of 52,000 sf of existing space. The center will feature active-learning classrooms, simulation training suites, and a technology-rich library. JE Dunn is the construction manager at-risk for the facility. Completion is expected in late 2019, pending project funding approval by the state legislature.

The University of Texas at San Antonio broke ground on the $95 million Science and Engineering Building in June of 2017. Designed by TreanorHL and Alamo Architects to promote interaction and collaboration, the multidisciplinary facility will provide research labs, teaching labs, active learning classrooms, and faculty offices to support programs in chemistry, biology, chemical engineering, and neurology.

Idaho State University broke ground in May of 2017 on the $34 million Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. Located adjacent to ISU’s Health Science Center in Meridian, the 94,000-sf facility is being built by Engineered Structures Inc. Completion is expected by fall of 2018.

Bowie State University opened the $102 million Center for Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Nursing in June of 2017 in Bowie, Md. Designed by Perkins+Will, the 149,000-sf facility provides a clinical simulation center, undergraduate teaching labs, a plant sciences greenhouse, and a three-story elliptical multipurpose space with 25,000 sf of dynamic window glazing.