University of Georgia Constructs Medical Education and Research Facility

The University of Georgia is constructing an education and research facility in Athens as the primary teaching hub for its School of Medicine. Designed by Flad Architects, the 93,000-sf building will dedicate nearly 25,000 sf to open wet labs for biomedical discovery and will feature active-learning classrooms for large and small groups, simulation suites with clinical skills labs, gross anatomy labs, and standardized patient rooms. The student experience will be enhanced by access to collaboration venues, study spaces, wellbeing zones, and a communal lounge. Faculty and administrative offices will be accompanied by conference rooms and a medical library.

Enabling a two-fold increase in enrollment capacity from a class size of 60 to 120, the transformative project will address regional provider shortages to expand the availability of care for rural and underserved communities, and reduce wait times for essential services. Supported by $50 million in state funding, the $100 million structure will serve as a gateway for the health sciences campus and a vibrant destination for university members to innovate, gather, and engage in teamwork.

Turner Construction is the general contractor for the Medical School Building, with Newcomb & Boyd as MEP engineer and Wallace Design Collective as structural engineer. Other firms lending their expertise include Koons Environmental Design, Performance Gap Solutions, and J&A Engineering. Ground was broken in May of 2024 and occupancy is slated for December of 2026.