The Health Sciences Education Building meets two institutions’ aspirations for identity, sustainability and powerful new learning environments. The design is open, highly transparent, and encourages social gathering and chance encounters as part of users’ daily life. Primary circulation pathways act as “main streets” lined with meeting places and various seating arrangements. Vertical circulation elements such as seating pods are located off of stair landings for groups to congregate.
Within meeting places, flexible furniture systems can be easily re-arranged. The lighting design is highly efficient and augmented wherever possible by controlled daylight. The practicality of continuous heavy usage made durability and maintenance a prime driver of material selection and detailing. CO Architects: Executive & Design Architect; Ayers Saint Gross, Associate Architect.
Project Name
Health Sciences Education Building
Size
264,000 GSF
Client
University of Arizona
Northern Arizona University
Completion Date
2012
Services
Master Planning
Programming
Architecture
Interior Design
Location
Phoenix, AZ
“I would drive out of my way to see this building.”
2013 AIA California Honor Award for Architectural Design, Jury Comments
Awards
- AIA-CAE (Committee on Architecture for Education), 2015 Design Excellence Award
- The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture & Design, 2014 American Architecture Award
- World Architecture News, 2014 The WAN Facade Award
- The Architect’s Newspaper, 2013 Best Facade Honorable Mention
- AIA Arizona, 2013 Merit Award for Architectural Design
- AIA California Council, 2013 Honor Award for Architectural Design
“Not only is the Health Sciences Education Building an impressive architectural icon for the city and state, but it is a fundamentally essential building block to creating a better future for the health of Arizonans.”
Rick Myers, President, Arizona Board of Regents
