Temple University Opens College of Public Health

Temple University officially opened a $125 million facility for the Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health in October of 2025 in Philadelphia. Designed by SLAM and PZS Architects, the adaptive reuse project transforms the former Paley Library into a five-story nexus for innovation and academic excellence. The 306,000-sf building offers active learning classrooms, research suites, and offices, as well as a student loft and the Aramark Community Teaching Kitchen. A state-of-the-art simulation center provides an immersive environment for education based on realistic healthcare scenarios, complete with settings that mimic a hospital, an outdoor park, a restaurant, an urban rowhome, and an ambulance bay. 

Enhancing cross-disciplinary collaboration, the sophisticated hub consolidates the college’s resources from across two campuses and ten former locations. A vibrant multistory atrium is accompanied by a tiered social staircase, a green roof, and a two-level bookstore. Meeting both LEED Gold and WELL certification standards, the biophilic structure employs key sustainable design elements including a high-performance envelope, harvesting of natural light to decrease reliance on electricity, and an extensive automation system that reduces energy use by 20 percent to minimize the overall carbon footprint. Advanced air and water filtration strategies are complemented by living walls in main circulation and assembly areas to enhance occupant wellbeing. 

Rycon Construction leveraged Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the delivery of the renovated and expanded facility. HF Lenz Company served as MEP engineer, with CVM as structural engineer and Bohler as civil engineer. Other project team members included The Lighting Practice, Waveguide, Ecoworks Studio, Becker & Frondorf, and Ground Reconsidered.