Page 38 - spaces4learning, Fall 2020

spaces4learning FACILITY FOCUS
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI’S HEALTH SCIENCES BUILDING
Meeting growing demand with flexible, collaborative design
AS DEMAND INCREASED FOR THE University of Cincinnati’s programs in allied health sciences, students and faculty had outgrown their space, often using makeshift study areas in hallways and struggling to find places for group work. The old buildings were scattered across campus and did not support the collaborative learning that today’s health sciences field demands.
Combined, this was the catalyst for the design of the modular, flexible plan and large open spaces in the new Health Sciences Building that were intended to inspire cross-disciplinary collaboration and easily flex to accommodate future needs — and the unexpected, such as a pandemic.
During design, the greatest need was how
to plan for enrollment and occupancy growth. That was before the coronavirus outbreak: now, looking towards life post-COVID-19 and as institutions plan how to safely reopen campuses, the facility’s flexible design will make it easier for users to keep their distance, pivot to hybrid learning, and maintain public health guidelines while using the space. When the building can safely open to full capacity, 1,200 students and 130 faculty and staff can learn and teach in a facility that encourages engagement and is the centerpiece for a new, connected health campus. There is plenty of room to maintain physical distancing guidelines and generous natural light throughout. Set back from the street to create connections with other campus buildings, the crescent-shaped building where classrooms and balconies overlook a four-story atrium provides a functional learning environment on the cohesive medical quad.
“We wanted a building with plenty of
light and a healthy atmosphere, to encourage collaboration among the Academic Health Center colleges,” says Dale Magoteaux, project manager at University of Cincinnati.
The design team and faculty worked
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