The new College of Health Sciences Building and Nursing & Health Sciences Hall at the University of California Irvine supports the institution’s goal of becoming a national model for integrative health. The new 211,660-sf facility houses nursing, medical doctorate, pharmacy, philosophy, and public health programs in a single building.
With biophilic elements incorporated throughout the LEED Platinum building and a natural courtyard, students are taught holistic mind, body, and spirit benefits of nature in a medical setting. The building features teaching labs, a simulation center, and dedicated lounge space with access to beautiful outdoor spaces, community spaces, and natural elements.
“These elements come to together to not only improve students’ learning outcomes, but also their health and wellness with access to nature and daylight, chances for building community and interaction between disciplines, and enriching research and learning through exposure to other programs, practitioners, clinicians, and students,” according to a news release.
Notable features of the facility include:
- Stand-alone auditorium and pre-function space acting as a center of activity, a gateway to campus, and a resource for all four UCI Health Sciences and other university events
- Distinct identities/signature spaces associated with each building
- A distinctive dedicated two-story lobby space with a living wall
- A high visibility, dedicated entry for the clinic that builds community among patients and staff and connects treatment functions on both levels
- A “main street” corridor that connects Research Neighborhoods to enhance collaboration, sharing of resources, and scalability
The project was designed according to a “Heart, Home and Integrator approach,” says Martha Ball, Higher Education Sector Leader, HED. “The heart is the dedicated entry and experience of the building that builds a sense of community among patients and clinicians. The home is the lounge that opens to a quiet outdoor area for respite, facilitating individual and group activities and studies. The integrator is the central courtyard with dedicated entry experiences for each program, the auditorium within the courtyard, and the glass bridge that connects the two wings. These come together to create chance encounters of researchers, faculty, clinicians, and administration.”
Bringing together medical programs “creates a premium experience that enhances learning outcomes by educating students beyond traditional lab classrooms,” Ball says. “Students see the benefits of biophilic design and collaborative spaces as patients are healed holistically.”
On the project team:
Owner and/or developer: University of California Irvine
Design architect: HED, teamed with SLAM for interior architecture/planning
Architect of record: HED
MEP engineer: Alvine Engineering
Structural engineer: Saiful Bouquet
General contractor/construction manager: Hathaway Dinwiddie
Related Stories
University Buildings | Nov 13, 2022
University of Washington opens mass timber business school building
Founders Hall at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, the first mass timber building at Seattle campus of Univ. of Washington, was recently completed. The 84,800-sf building creates a new hub for community, entrepreneurship, and innovation, according the project’s design architect LMN Architects.
University Buildings | Nov 3, 2022
New College of Medicine debuts on University of Houston’s campus
It's part of a planned medical district.
University Buildings | Nov 2, 2022
New Univ. of Calif. Riverside business school building will support hybrid learning
A design-build partnership of Moore Ruble Yudell and McCarthy Building Companies will collaborate on a new business school building at the University of California at Riverside.
School Construction | Oct 31, 2022
Claremont McKenna College science center will foster integrated disciplinary research
The design of the Robert Day Sciences Center at Claremont McKenna College will support “a powerful, multi-disciplinary, computational approach to the grand socio-scientific challenges and opportunities of our time—gene, brain, and climate,” says Hiram E. Chodosh, college president.
University Buildings | Oct 27, 2022
The Collaboratory Building will expand the University of Florida’s School of Design, Construction, and Planning
Design firm Brooks + Scarpa recently broke ground on a new addition to the University of Florida’s School of Design, Construction, and Planning (DCP).
Higher Education | Oct 24, 2022
Wellesley College science complex modernizes facility while preserving architectural heritage
A recently completed expansion and renovation of Wellesley College’s science complex yielded a modernized structure for 21st century STEM education while preserving important historical features.
BAS and Security | Oct 19, 2022
The biggest cybersecurity threats in commercial real estate, and how to mitigate them
Coleman Wolf, Senior Security Systems Consultant with global engineering firm ESD, outlines the top-three cybersecurity threats to commercial and institutional building owners and property managers, and offers advice on how to deter and defend against hackers.
University Buildings | Oct 18, 2022
A carbon-neutral-ready university campus opens in Hong Kong
In early September, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) officially opened its new, KPF-designed campus in Nansha, Guangzhou (GZ).
University Buildings | Oct 7, 2022
Auburn’s new culinary center provides real-world education
The six-story building integrates academic and revenue-generating elements.
| Sep 14, 2022
Indian tribe’s new educational campus supports culturally appropriate education
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe recently opened the Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus (Kenai River People’s Learning Place), a new education center in Kenai, Alaska.
