The University of Minnesota alumni account for more than 70% of that state’s health professionals. To help prepare the next generation, the university’s Twin Cities campus recently debuted its Health Sciences Education Center, a hub for UM’s health professional schools, and designed to promote interprofessional education and interaction that prioritizes student and faculty well-being.
The 202,000-sf Education Center is positioned to be one of the more comprehensive interprofessional facilities in the country. The project entailed six stories of new construction, and four stories of renovation of an adjacent building. The two structures are connected by portals on four floors.
“The new Health Sciences Education Center is much more than a building; it is a catalyst for change as we prepare the next generation of health care professionals,” says Mark Rosenberg, MD, Vice Dean for education and academic affairs in the Medical School.
Early examples of the Center’s multipurpose utility and transformative potential were evident last summer, when HSEC was used in collaboration with the School of Public Health, Medical School and the Medical Reserve Corps to assist the Minnesota Department of Health in COVID-19 contact tracing. M Simulation—a university team that designs and delivers training experiences for health science students and other stakeholders—also used HSEC’s spaces to train incoming residents and students on personal protective equipment in clinical environments.
REAL-LIFE TRAINING IS PART OF PROGRAMMING
The new HSEC has space for small and large group learning and instruction. Images: Lara Swimmer
The new HSEC includes:
Center for Health Interprofessional Programs, which connects health professions students from varying disciplines, allowing them to collaborate, network, socialize, and learn;
Biomedical Library and Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine, which connects students to healthcare’s history and opportunities for invention and product development that might define the industry’s future, including a makerspace and virtual reality studio;
Simulation Labs on two floors that connect students to the patient experience and the reality of working alongside their interdisciplinary peers. Jakub Tolar, Dean of UM’s Medical School and Vice President of its Office of Academic Clinical Affairs, explains that these labs help prepare students for real-life medical events and crisis, for which “you have to train yourself, almost like an athlete.”
The S/L/A/M Collaborative and Perkins and Will were co-design architects on HSEC. SLAM led this project’s program validation, utilization analysis, building planning, and the documentation of all classrooms, immersive learning environments, and administrative spaces. Perkins and Will, as AOR, provided the exterior and massing design, interior finishes and furniture selection, and public/social space documentation. The Building Team included JE Dunn (GC), IMEG (MEPF), Palanisami & Associates (SE), EVS Inc. (CE), and Sextant (AV consultant).
IN WITH THE NEW
The building's lobbies (above) have lots of seating and natural light. The Center's library features makerspaces and virtual studios. Images: Lara Swimmer, SLAM
HSEC, which broke ground in February 2018, replaces a four-story brick structure, called the VFW Cancer Research Center and Masonic Memorial Building, that was completed in 1957. The renovated space in the Phillips Wangersteen Building replaces underutilized clinics.
The State of Minnesota invested $66.7 million in construction as part of its 2017 special session bonding bill. The University, along with support from donors, funded an additional $33.3 million in construction costs. Predesign and design from reallocated TCF Bank Stadium bond proceeds totaled $8.6 million. The total cost of the project is $108.6 million, according to the university.
Related Stories
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 20, 2013
Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail
With healthier job growth numbers and construction volumes at near-historic lows, real estate experts at Jones Lang LaSalle see a rosy year for U.S. commercial construction.
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
