• Tennessee��General Assembly approved $311 million recommended by Gov. Bill Lee for a new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UT Health Sciences) in Memphis.
• The project totals $350 million and is planned as a 275,000- to 300,000-square-foot facility on Madison Avenue.
• UT Health Sciences said the building will support growth, including expanding the medical student cohort from 175 to 250 and the Physician Assistant Program from 30 to 60 students per year.
• The university said it must raise an��additional��$50 million in philanthropic support; construction is targeted to begin in late fall 2026, with substantial completion��anticipated��in 2029.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —��State lawmakers have approved $311 million in funding for a new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building at UT Health Sciences, a project university leaders say will expand training capacity and support statewide workforce needs.��

The funding, recommended by Gov. Bill Lee, supports a $350 million facility planned for the Memphis campus on Madison Avenue.��The Tennessee General Assembly approved the funding April 17 for construction of the new facility, which UT Health Sciences describes as a focal point for its Memphis campus and a major investment in health care education statewide.��

The university plans a 275,000- to 300,000-square-foot building on Madison Avenue, between the College of Pharmacy Building at 881 Madison Ave. and the site of the former Holiday Inn at Madison Avenue and Pauline Street.��

“This is a transformative step for UT Health Sciences, as well as for health and health care of the people of Tennessee,” Chancellor Peter Buckley, MD, said, adding that the building is intended to serve as “a hub for training future health care professionals to practice collaborative, state-of-the-art care across Tennessee,” according to��.��

UT Health Sciences said the added space would allow the College of Medicine to expand its class size from 175 to 250 students per cohort. The Physician Assistant Program would also be able to grow from 30 to 60 students per year, the university said.��

Project leaders tied the investment to workforce projections. “This is an investment in continuing to meet the significant deficit in physicians and physician assistants in the state of Tennessee, with projections suggesting that there will be a need for 6,000 additional physicians in the state by 2030,” Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer Raaj Kurapati said, according to��.��

Beyond classroom and simulation space, the university said the facility will support telehealth training and increase online educational opportunities for the College of Medicine and other colleges, with the goal of growing academic certificate programs and enrollment. UT Health Sciences also said the project is expected to bolster its response to rural health care challenges in Tennessee.��

As Tennessee’s only statewide academic health science center, UT Health Sciences said it expects the new building to enable the university to graduate an��additional��1,450 health care professionals practicing in various fields during its first five years of operation.��

The state’s allocation��represents��the lead investment, but UT Health Sciences said it must raise an��additional��$50 million in philanthropic support to complete the project. That total includes $39 million toward building costs, plus��additional��funding for specialized equipment and program support.��

UT Health Sciences said HOK conducted��a strategic��space inventory and developed programming for the building. The university has selected Memphis-based brg3s architects to design the facility in collaboration with HOK. After��remaining��state approvals are received, the university said it aims to begin construction in late fall 2026, with substantial completion��anticipated��in 2029.��

This article is based on reporting originally published by UTHSC News on April 17, 2026.��

The post Tennessee Lawmakers Approve $311 Million for New UT Health Sciences College of Medicine Building appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Tennessee Lawmakers Approve $311 Million for New UT Health Sciences College of Medicine Building appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post HOK’s Anica Landreneau Elevated to LEED Fellow appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post HOK’s Anica Landreneau Elevated to LEED Fellow appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Tom Robson, HOK appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Tom Robson, HOK appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Project partners HOK, Turner Construction and JRA Architects were on hand for a recent groundbreaking ceremony for the University of Kentucky’s new Health Education Building. The 500,000-square-foot structure, to be located at the intersection of Huguelet and University drives, will be home to the university’s programs in nursing, health science, public health, as well as the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education.

The Health Education Building will entail two wings, one with eight floors and the other with 10. In addition to classrooms and learning spaces, the building will feature modern simulation facilities so that students can experience real-world healthcare scenarios. The building will entail brick and glass for the north wing as well as a glass front for the south wing to allow in sunlight. Other architectural design elements include a “basketweave” façade and a glass lantern design at the building’s northeast corner.

When completed in 2026, the Health Education Building will be able to increase the number of students educated in the College of Medicine to 200 per year, one of the largest medical programs in the United States. The College of Nursing will also double its enrollment, offering both a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN) and an advanced BSN program as the Bluegrass State continues to deal with a shortage of healthcare workers. Meanwhile, the College of Health Sciences will offer programs in language pathology, physical therapy, athletic training and medical laboratory science for over 400 students, and the College of Public Health will be able to increase its student complement by 30 percent in both its graduate and undergrad programs.

The layout of the facility is meant to encourage collaboration between various classrooms and learning spaces.

The $380 million construction project’s funding was authorized by the Kentucky General Assembly and approved by the UK Board of Trustees last summer.

“As a testament to our collaborative spirit, this one facility will contain programs from four colleges and the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education. We will educate students for a new healthcare future, collaborate through transdisciplinary work, and attract and retain the best and brightest to advance Kentucky,” said UK President Eli Capilouto at the groundbreaking. “Our goal—our promise—is that when our students complete these programs and join the workforce, they are well-equipped to face today’s complex challenges and help all Kentuckians live longer and healthier lives.”

“This is a wonderful building for the university and the state, and the credit for that goes to university leadership, the deans and their staff,” Eli Hoisington, HOK co-CEO and design principal for the firm’s St. Louis studio, said at the event. “This has been one of the most collaborative and engaging processes our team has worked on. Looking at our practice across the country, the scale and breadth of what is happening here is unprecedented.”

Of their firm being selected as general contractor, Turner executive David Opalka said the Health Education Building will be a “world-class project” when it is completed.

“We look forward to helping the University expand its program and achieve their vision to increase the number of students prepared to meet the growing need for healthcare services in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Opalka stated on the firm’s website.

The post Kentucky Presses Ahead with New Health Education Building appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Kentucky Presses Ahead with New Health Education Building appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

ABILENE, Texas—Since opening in 1968, Abilene Christian University’s Moody Coliseum has been home to various sporting activities for this university located in Central Texas. Moody Coliseum provides the home floor for the school’s Division 1 teams, as well as a venue for graduations, concerts, campus-wide worship services and various other events for the university.

Hoar Construction, in conjunction with sports architect HOK embarked on a $39 million renovation of the 153,000-square-foot venue in order to return the well-known “Moody Magic” to the coliseum, which has diminished after over a half-century of use. The campaign, launched two years ago, called for a “pull planning” construction plan. This allowed for the early design of several components of the projects at the same time that work on the exterior field was also underway.

The phased approach to the work allowed for the saving of time in the overall construction timeline. The work had to be completed on a brisk 12-month schedule, which was not flexible given athletic schedules that were already set several years prior.

In addition to ongoing supply chain issues that have plagued the entire construction industry, the project partners also had to deal with hurricanes, asbestos abatement and floor load limitations. However, through various collaboration efforts, the team was able to still stay on the requisite delivery schedule.

Hoar and its partners were also able to save money in multiple ways on the project. The team shaved more than $400,000 from the budget thanks to working with the steel and engineering teams to develop design documents in real time, which allowed for the procurement and delivery of steel for the coliseum refurbishment faster than otherwise might have been possible.

HOK also envisioned a new facade for the outside of the venue. Their design called for adding two three-story towers, which are home to office space for athletic personnel. The architect also updated the interior by adding larger seats that also provided additional legroom for patrons.

Hoar and the engineering teams were also tasked with overhauling the smoke evacuation system in case of an emergency. This helped save an additional $300,000 on the eventual project budget.

“This project is a true testament to the power of effective pull planning and preconstruction practices in cutting both time and cost for client success,” said Grant Pallan, project executive at Hoar. “We were up against a tight timeline to ensure this renovation was completed by the start of the school year at a standard that students deserved.

“Given the ongoing supply chain issues, this project would not have been completed as smoothly as it was had our teams not utilized pull planning to its full potential.”

The post Abilene Christian Revamps Historic Sports Venue appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Abilene Christian Revamps Historic Sports Venue appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

TAMPA, Fla.—Construction and development firm Skanska has announced the completion of the $189 million University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute. The college is now open at the Water Street mixed-use development in downtown Tampa, which is expected to become one of the most vibrant urban environments in America and the world’s first wellness district.

The 395,000-square-foot, academic building is bringing 1,800 students, faculty and researchers to the heart of downtown Tampa and is set to transform health education by focusing on more hands-on, technology-enabled learning. Standing 13 floors high, the innovative building features a 400-seat auditorium, clinical teaching labs and research laboratories, office space and a wellness center. The school teamed up with Microsoft to create the first-ever Medical School of Innovation, placing USF among the most innovative higher education institutions for integrating technology into medical education.

In December 2014, initial approval was granted to relocate and rebuild the medical college, bringing it within a mile of its primary teaching hospital, Tampa General Hospital. In collaboration with design firm HOK, Skanska began construction work in August 2017 and the project was delivered this January 2020.

Situated within the mixed-use Water Street development, faculty and staff will be able to live, work and study along the downtown Tampa waterfront and provide healthcare services to people in need through USF’s community outreach initiatives.

In Tampa, Skanska has also completed the $122 million renovation and expansion of the Tampa International Airport’s main passenger terminal in 2019 and the $35.6 million renovation and expansion of the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in 2018. Nearby in St. Petersburg, Skanska delivered the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Research and Education Building in 2018 and is currently reconstructing the St. Petersburg Municipal Pier and Pier Approach.

The post Skanska Wraps $189M Project at University of South Florida appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Skanska Wraps $189M Project at University of South Florida appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The new structure is the largest new building to have been erected in downtown Buffalo in recent decades and was constructed from sustainable materials and methods with the goal of obtaining LEED Gold certification.

Serving as construction manager,  (LiRo) partnered with Gilbane Building Company in the joint venture with architect  and general contractor LPCiminelli helping bring it to fruition. SUCF contracted with LiRo-Gilbane following the completion of the schematic design phase prior to its design development. All companies have offices in New York.

“This building fully integrates medical education into Buffalo’s growing academic health center, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and strengthening our relationships with our clinical partners,” said Michael Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences at UB and dean of the Jacobs School, in a statement. “A medical school that is just steps away from UBMD Physicians’ Group at Conventus, John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, Buffalo General Medical Center, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and all of our other partners will foster synergies that will expand and improve healthcare in Western New York.”

Funded through the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program, the $375 million Jacobs School is part of a larger initiative to encourage state economic growth as well as bolster public university and college academic programs. To that end, UB received $35 million in 2011 for the new building, which was administered through the Empire State Development Corporation and SUCF. Throughout, LiRo managed pre-construction and served as project manager for the general construction and the mechanical, electrical and plumbing aspects of the project.

The building’s striking aesthetic is largely the result of its terra cotta tile façade, which underlies its rain-screen system. The tile is a visual echo of the area’s historic buildings and required the use of nearly 27,000 locally made tiles.

Inasmuch as the exteriors are designed to reflect the look of local history, the interiors are a nod to new modalities of learning. The new Jacobs School building is designed to spur interactions among students and the faculty via the use of glass-enclosed and otherwise open spaces. The effort is meant to encourage chance encounters, as conference rooms surround a large central atrium and lounge furniture is arrayed in an open manner that enables group discussions. Many spaces are designed with flexible use-case scenarios in mind, from modular research laboratories that can expand and contract as necessary to desks that readily configure into tables for conferences.

“LiRo is proud to have overseen the construction of this world-class, $375 million hub for life science, technological innovation and learning,” observed Luis M. Tormenta, PE, LiRo’s CEO and vice chairman, in a statement. “We have delivered to the University at Buffalo an ultramodern facility that will serve its students, faculty, researchers and the community for a long time to come.”

The post Buffalo’s New Jacobs School of Medicine Complete appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Buffalo’s New Jacobs School of Medicine Complete appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The design of the new facility has been assigned to , a global firm boasting a staff of 1,500 in 24 locations worldwide, over such notable candidates as HOK and Gow Hastings Architects, according to art industry magazine . Several interesting ideas are on the proverbial drawing board, including the possible use of timber to create the facility’s main structure. Likewise, the building’s facade, the design of which suggests something that might have leaked from a kaleidoscope, will be comprised of angular photovoltaic panels. Glazed openings will help facilitate the presence of natural light throughout the building and a heat recovery ventilation system will help the project toward its LEED Gold certification goal. This includes the ambition to also be net zero on energy as well as net zero on carbon.

As , an infrastructure industry publication observed, “The design balances the needs of the school itself, the larger campus and the planet, setting a new standard for sustainability, design excellence, and student experience on Canadian campuses.”

As admirable as its green themes are, the project also endeavors to capture more than natural energy — it wants to capture the hearts of its student body and foment a genuine sense of community. “A primary objective for York University and the Perkins+Will team was the creation of a sense of home and belonging for the School of Continuing Studies,” explained a statement on the firm’s , which announced the win.

Throughout, the Perkins+Will design is meant to engender a sense of on-campus community. The use of daylight, transparent design motifs and spaces that interconnect between floors are intended to spur student interaction and serve as a place for events that support the development of the school’s culture and community.

“This building is critical to expand the pathways that support international students and new Canadians as well as innovative continuing education to support young professionals in meeting the demands of tomorrow’s workplaces,” said York University Assistant Vice President Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly in a statement.

The School of Continuing Studies was established in 2015 in an effort to combine continuing professional education programs with English language support. Three years later, it is one of the largest schools of its kind in Canada.

“The creation of a new, stand-alone home for our School of Continuing Studies is another important step forward in improving access to post-secondary education at York. This new building will enable us to create even more lifelong learning opportunities, build connections with local and international communities, and help students of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their fullest potential,” said Rhonda Lenton, York University president and vice chancellor, in a statement.

The post Perkins+Will to Design the New School of Continuing Studies at York University appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Perkins+Will to Design the New School of Continuing Studies at York University appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

BALTIMORE — More than four years after breaking ground on a new Health Sciences Facility, The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is anticipating a December completion for its new Health Sciences Facility III.

HOK Architects, based out of its Washington, D.C., office, designed the facility in association with Design Collective of Baltimore. The construction manager on the project was the Barton Malow Company headquartered in Southfield, Mich. Jacobs headquartered in Dallas collaborated on laboratory planning and programming. LEED Gold certification is anticipated for the new science facility.

The budget for the 428,970-square-foot building was $305.4 million. Expected to advance UMB’s position as academic research leaders, the facility is aimed to be a critical tool in recruiting and retaining the best faculty, students and staff.

The new facility at the University of Maryland has a 10-story wet lab tower that connects to a five-story dry lab tower through a multistory collaboration space. Nearly 70,000 square feet of open wet labs and support labs will house collaborative research for 92 principal investigators, providing flexible lab design and systems. Perimeter labs are flanked by formal and informal meeting spaces focused on the central multistoried communicating space. The connected five-story dry lab tower supports 18 principal investigators.

A 4.5-foot-thick mat slab creates a “bathtub” effect to protect the shared imaging center’s equipment from possible flooding due to Baltimore’s high water table. The three schools also share a nanomedicine center.

“The Health Sciences Facility III further strengthens our footprint in west Baltimore and, as a result, our economic impact on the city and the state,” said Jay A. Perman, M.D., president at the University of Maryland. “We’re privileged to be able to help revitalize our critically important Baltimore neighborhoods and the state of Maryland as a whole, and at the same time, enable biomedical research and education that has the potential to save lives.”

The new research facility will be the largest state-funded higher-education project to ever be delivered on UMB’s campus, and will enable the School of Medicine to retain its position as one of the leading biomedical research institutions in the world, according to Perman.

In addition, the new facility will house new research programs for the Universities Schools of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. “Specifically for growth, no existing programs were intended to move,” said Timothy O’Connell, principal in charge and regional leader of science and technology at HOK. “Each dean had their own vision for how the facility should be designed so HOK used an iterative design process with multiple teams to drive decision making.”

Multiple teams helped to successfully schedule the groups to make quick efficient decisions, including the building project team, the faculty scientific advisory committee, the executive committee, and the operations and maintenance committee, according to O’Connell. The planning, programming and concept design was completed in 16 weeks.

The post University of Maryland New Health Sciences Facility Designed to LEED Gold appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post University of Maryland New Health Sciences Facility Designed to LEED Gold appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The new building at the University at Buffalo (UB) was completed in October — four years after the groundbreaking ceremony in October of 2013. The grand opening is scheduled for early December, and students will be using the building the first week of January of 2018. The new facility is targeting for LEED Gold certification.

HOK, based out of New York, was the architect on the project, and LP Ciminelli out of Buffalo served as general contractor. The 628,000-square-foot building had a budget of $375 million. The State University Construction Fund and University at Buffalo was the owner of the project.

The primary reason for moving the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to downtown from UB’s South Campus was to expand, modernize and improve patient care, recruit new faculty and strengthen Buffalo’s academic health center on the growing Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, according to Michael E. Cain, MD, vice president for health sciences and dean at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

“Expansion of medical schools is a national and regional necessity today,” said Cain. “Physician shortages in western New York range from moderate to severe in some specialties — including primary care.”

The new building has made it possible for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to increase its class size by 25 percent, from 144 to 180 — in line with recommendations by the Association of American Medical Colleges, according to Cain.

The new medical school building houses modular 21st century, state-of-the-art learning environments that include updated classrooms and laboratories. The design features two L-shaped structures linked by a six-story, light-filled glass atrium — the building’s main interior “avenue,” according to David Schwartz, project manager at HOK.

The new medical school is physically connected to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus by an enclosed bridge, which will greatly serve the function of the faculty, researchers and students who have clinical responsibilities on the Niagara Campus.

“The design sandwiches the three research floors between the more public parts of the medical education program on the lower floors and the more specialized, pedagogical components, such as the human anatomy suite, on the upper floors,” said Schwartz. “A common atrium and second-floor ‘piano nobile,’ or principal level, fosters collaboration between educators, researchers and the greater Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus community.”

The new facility — which is targeting for LEED Gold certification — features a high-performance terra-cotta rain screen and a glass curtain wall system that brings daylight deep inside the building. The campus-housed station accentuates community connections as well as promotes sustainable transportation options.

In addition, there is a pedestrian passageway with a bike share facility that extends through the building, connecting Main and Washington streets, leading to Allen Street and the eclectic Allentown neighborhood.

Another key design feature of the building is that it was designed without a main dining facility so that area restaurants and stores will have a resulting economic benefit. “We designed the new medical school building with an eye toward contributing to economic development in the neighborhood,” explained Laura Hubbard, UB’s vice president for finance and administration. “We want medical students, faculty and staff to be out in the community, patronizing local businesses.”

The new medical school, populated by physicians and medical students alike, will bring 2,000 more people to downtown Buffalo each day. “HOK’s design for UB’s medical school creates the heart for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus while integrating and connecting to the surrounding communities,” noted Kenneth Drucker, FAIA, design principal for the project and design director for HOK’s New York office, in a .

The post Jacobs School of Medicine Complete, Targets LEED Gold Certification appeared first on 91��Ƶ.

The post Jacobs School of Medicine Complete, Targets LEED Gold Certification appeared first on 91��Ƶ.