Academic Medical

Washington State University Vancouver dedicated the $63.8 million Life Sciences Building in June of 2024. Designed by SRG + CannonDesign, the 60,000-sf facility collocates the university’s basic, translational, applied, and clinical health programs in a single integrated location. The three-story structure provides faculty research suites, classrooms and teaching labs for biology and chemistry, and specialized learning venues for courses in nursing, psychology, neuroscience, medicine, and molecular biology.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire broke ground on the $340.3 million Science and Health Sciences Building in June of 2024. Designed by HOK and Potter Lawson, the 330,000-sf facility will collocate STEM courses in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics with programs in nursing, psychology, pre-professional health sciences, and public health and environmental studies. The vibrant five-story structure will feature an accessible sixth level with a greenhouse, a telescope observatory dome, and a mechanical room.

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School opened the $325 million New Education and Research Building in June of 2024 in Worcester. ZGF Architects and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge designed the 350,000-sf project to drive discovery in gene therapy, molecular medicine, and the neurosciences, as well as housing the departments of neurology and neurobiology.

Columbia University broke ground in late May of 2024 on the first all-electric biomedical research building in New York City. Designed by KPF, the 77,000-sf facility will drive innovation in genetic and genomic science to create new treatments for some of the most significant threats to human health today. The eight-story structure will feature state-of-the-art laboratories linked by "collaboration corners" with welcoming lounges for informal interaction and exchange.

The University of Arizona opened the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson in April of 2024. Designed by Line and Space, the 30,000-sf complex comprises three buildings linked by landscaped pathways. MIND provides collaborative environments for research, innovation, and administration, complemented by BODY, a wellness hub with a movement studio and a demonstration kitchen, and SPIRIT, a serene space for mindfulness, meditation, and contemplation. 

A study of three academic medical centers constructed in 2009, 2014, and 2020 reveals little change in the square footage of research spaces over time but a radical change in how the square footage is being used. The result is research space that is more efficient, flexible, adaptable, and functional, with a higher percentage of space dedicated to lab support. The metrics gathered in this study can help guide lab planners as they look to the future.

With active learning classrooms, Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine was presented an opportunity to think differently about how to create spaces that support a different approach to instruction and interaction. Figuring out what works and what doesn’t in terms of acoustics, technology, lighting, and sightlines has demonstrated the importance of aligning the space—and the technology within it—with the pedagogy rather than the reverse.

Michigan Tech opened the H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex in Houghton in March of 2024. HED designed the collaborative facility to drive academic excellence in health-related fields and accelerate the creation of human-centered technological innovations. Positioned in the heart of campus, the development collocates researchers in materials science, engineering, and neuroscience with faculty from kinesiology and integrative physiology.

Missouri Southern State University broke ground in April of 2024 on the Roy Blunt Health Science Innovation Center in Joplin. Addressing a critical shortage of skilled health professionals, the $42 million facility will feature technology-enabled environments for immersive learning. A simulation hospital will include examination rooms, an acute care ward, an emergency center, a labor and delivery unit, and a model ambulance. The 65,000-sf building will also accommodate classrooms, offices, research space, and a spacious cadaver lab.

Baylor College of Medicine is constructing the $260 million Lillie and Roy Cullen Tower in Houston. The 503,000-sf facility will strategically collocate the School of Medicine and the School of Health Professions next to the Texas Medical Center’s Helix Park. The technology-rich building will feature studio classrooms, lecture halls, teaching labs, and an expansive atrium that can function as a 500-seat auditorium.

The University of Miami Health System is constructing the $250 million Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building in Miami. Designed by HOK, the 244,000-sf structure will provide the Miller School of Medicine with flexible laboratories where multidisciplinary teams will discover new modalities for cancer treatment and prevention. The collaborative facility will leverage advanced instrumentation and the latest machine learning technologies to accelerate the translation of scientific breakthroughs into life-saving therapies.

Georgia Tech broke ground in March of 2024 on the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center in Atlanta. Designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative, the 100,000-sf sports science facility will accommodate strength and conditioning areas, a nutrition center, and clinical settings for both physical and mental health services. A motion-capture lab with advanced instrumentation will feed into an in-house data analytics office.

Dubbed the "tree house," the Stanford Center for Academic Medicine blends into and incorporates its natural surroundings in a design that leaves the occupants feeling better after a full day of work than they felt when they arrived. Amenity spaces, a concierge desk staffed 24/7, small but private offices, and universal access to sunlight all contribute to the popularity of the Center.

The University of California is planning to construct the $300 million Medical Education Building in Merced. Designed by ZGF Architects, the 203,500-sf project will serve as the headquarters for a multicampus career pathway developed in partnership with UC San Francisco and UCSF Fresno. The four-story structure will provide class laboratories, specialized learning venues, general assignment classrooms, clinical practicum spaces, research labs, offices, and a café.

Construction will begin in April of 2024 on the Wichita Biomedical Campus, an innovation hub where academia and industry can engage with clinical partners to create new healthcare solutions. The centerpiece of the project is a 471,000-sf tower designed by CO Architects and Helix Architecture + Design. The first four floors will collocate Wichita State University’s College of Health Professions and Speech-Language Hearing Clinic with WSU Tech’s Health Professions program.