At a Glance
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LEED
Silver Certified
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154K
Square Feet
- Location
- Richmond, Virginia
- Offices
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-
Client
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Virginia Commonwealth University
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Award
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American Institute of Architects (AIA), Honor Awards Honor Award, 2020
- Location
- Richmond, Virginia
- Offices
- Client
-
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Award
- American Institute of Architects (AIA), Honor Awards Honor Award, 2020
Share
Viginia Commonwealth University (VCU) wanted to unify talent, programs, and technology for their College of Health Professions to empower students and faculty. They reached out to our team to help them integrate 11 departments into a cohesive academic community that would foster flexibility and collaboration.
We focused our planning around creating academic neighborhoods, blurring disciplinary boundaries and cultivating a sense of community within an urban high-rise. The inclusion of strategic adjacencies encourages cross-disciplinary interaction, shared teaching resources, and robust distance-learning technology.
Collaboration is built into every level of this eight-story tower. Students, faculty, and researchers from multiple disciplines learn together, exchanging knowledge to advance patient care. Nurse anesthesia students practice on simulators, physical therapy students refine mobility techniques, and researchers in the biomechanics lab develop next-generation healthcare devices. Teamwork drives progress.
Overall, our design focuses around three mission-driven principles: wellness, movement, and engagement. The public lobby features an active, welcoming stairway that links the Community Gallery and the Interprofessional Simulation Center, encouraging healthy practices. A glass façade reinforces this sense of openness, visually connecting the warm, inviting interiors with the surrounding environment while showcasing the programs’ activities to the campus and city.
Ample daylight, thoughtful color choices, and natural materials highlight the softer aspects of healthcare, fostering physical and neurological wellness. The result is an environment that is vibrant yet comforting.
College of Health Professions graduates enter a rapidly evolving clinical world where integrated teams deliver patient-centered care. VCU helps prepare students for these real-world experiences by intentionally fostering teamwork through side-by-side learning.
" }At a Glance
-
LEED
Silver Certified
-
154K
Square Feet
- Location
- Richmond, Virginia
- Offices
-
-
Client
-
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
-
-
Award
-
American Institute of Architects (AIA), Honor Awards Honor Award, 2020
- Location
- Richmond, Virginia
- Offices
- Client
-
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Award
- American Institute of Architects (AIA), Honor Awards Honor Award, 2020