Laboratory: Simulation

Though universities may update master plans every five or 10 years, many find planning works best when it is continual and flexible to accommodate program and leadership changes. A number of projects at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (HSC) in Fort Worth demonstrate the need to assess existing spaces and develop plans for growth and flexibility, as well as the benefits of building long-term relationships with architects and other vendors.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is planning to create a vibrant destination for education, research, and innovation in Kips Bay that is supported by $1.6 billion in state and city funding. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is the master planner for the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC), a first-of-its-kind learning and training center that will offer up to two million sf of academic, public health, and life science space.

Providence College opened the 125,000-sf Ben Mondor Center for Nursing and Health Sciences in January of 2025 in Providence, R.I. Designed by SLAM, the five-story facility provides active learning environments and laboratories for teaching, research, and faculty innovation. On the third level, a 7,000-sf clinical simulation suite replicates an acute care hospital floor. Sophisticated augmented and virtual reality technologies, such as Anatomage Tables, offer unique opportunities for immersive education and discovery. 

The New Education and Research Building (NERB) at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School has emerged as a sustainable, high-performance medical research facility that is energy efficient in a demanding climate. Beyond its brilliant façade lie 350,000 sf of light-filled lab and work spaces spanning nine floors, servicing the departments of gene therapy/genetics, molecular medicine, neurobiology, and neurology/neurosurgery. A sustainability leader in the region, the building is designed to have a very low annual energy usage intensity (EUI) of 130 kBtu/sq-yr. It is expected to achieve LEED Gold Certification and be net-zero ready for energy and carbon.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) is building a $105 million health sciences building for the School of Pharmacy and the School of Nursing. Designed by Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Christner Architects, the 176,000-sf facility will offer teaching and research labs, a vivarium, and modern classrooms and study areas. As well as administrative offices, the three-story structure will accommodate programs in pharmacogenomics, synthetic chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology.

The University of South Carolina is planning to begin construction in 2025 on the School of Medicine Columbia. Serving as the centerpiece of a $300 million campus, the 300,000-sf facility will feature active learning classrooms, extensive medical simulation spaces, interdisciplinary laboratories, and a health science library. An adjoining biomedical research wing will advance the creation of novel therapies and treatments, with a central landscaped courtyard offering settings for informal exchange.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) broke ground in October of 2024 on a $120 million facility for the School of Social Work. Designed by Ballinger, this dynamic hub will consolidate activities previously dispersed in numerous locations, as well as accommodating the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Philosophy programs. Modern learning environments that prioritize equity, accessibility, and inclusivity will equip the next generation of changemakers to create new solutions for key societal challenges.

Morgan State University opened the Health and Human Services Center in Baltimore in October of 2024. Designed by HOK in association with K. Dixon Architecture, this innovative hub for education, research, and community impact was built over the course of three years by Barton Malow. The $171 million facility offers leading-edge simulation suites, teaching laboratories, technology-enabled classrooms, and offices for faculty and staff. Interaction and knowledge exchange is enhanced by communal spaces that meet diverse needs.

St. John's University will open the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center in September of 2024 on the Queens campus in New York. Designed by CannonDesign, the $106 million facility features state-of-the-art laboratories, active learning classrooms, and simulation suites to train the next generation of caregivers. The 70,000-sf building strategically collocates the School of Nursing with other allied health programs to promote interprofessional education, supported by flexible teaching venues where teams of students can work together.

Roper Hall, the new medical education building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, features a 240-person active learning theater, a dedicated medical student commons, 16 small seminar rooms, six medium-size classrooms, a medical simulation center, and a clinical skills suite for inter-professional training … and not a single lecture hall.