The Pearl Launches in Charlotte as a Blueprint for Health Care Transformation

Wexford Science & Technology opened a visionary innovation district called The Pearl in Charlotte in June of 2025. Created as a public-private partnership with Advocate Health, Atrium Health, and Ventas, the mixed-use development strategically collocates world-class facilities for medical instruction and training with research environments for leading health technology companies.  

A new medical school campus for Wake Forest University is located in the Howard R. Levine Center for Education, which also houses Atrium Health’s Carolinas College of Health Sciences. The 14-story, 365,000-sf facility features an iconic atrium with amphitheater seating, a 250-seat auditorium, a 200-person flexible learning studio,  clinical skills labs, and robust simulation suites. Sophisticated classrooms and teaching labs enable a unique, problem-based pedagogical model known as integrated biomedical sciences. Wake Forest is also planning to relocate the School of Professional Studies to the center to foster cross-disciplinary synergies. Ground was broken in January of 2023 on the sustainable structure, which is targeting both LEED Gold and LEED Zero Carbon certification.

The North American headquarters of IRCAD, a global surgical training institute, will anchor an adjoining 335,000-sf research building when it opens in September of 2025. Offering state-of-the-art surgical ballrooms, the technology-rich facility will include an auditorium with 3D projection capabilities, a robotics suite, and R&D space for virtual and augmented reality modalities. A vibrant central plaza integrates the complex to promote academic, corporate, and community engagement. 

Representing an investment of approximately $1.5 billion, the first phase of The Pearl was designed by CO Architects, Ayers Saint Gross, and Neighboring Concepts, with Whiting-Turner as general contractor. NV5 was the acoustical and vibration consultant, as well as designing the audiovisual, IT, and security systems. Buro Happold acted as strategy and operating model design consultant to Wake Forest and Advocate Health. Kimley-Horn served as civil engineer for The Pearl's master plan, which was led by Ayers Saint Gross in collaboration with Neighboring Concepts.