To support the mission of the Health Education Alliance in Phoenix, Creighton University engaged the firm to set the strategic vision and subsequent design for the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Health Sciences Building. The campus, which is located along Central Avenue in Midtown Phoenix, marks a significant expansion of the University’s presence in Arizona and reflects its commitment to meeting the growing need for healthcare professionals across the country. The process for this project included strategic planning and site selection. The goal was to create a relationship between Creighton University and its community. The search was to determine a pre-developed site that had access to local amenities and resources that would allow Creighton to build only what is needed for the program to maximize the impact of Creighton’s program and the community’s economy. This allowed the local market to have a symbiotic relationship with the University through a residential building, food market and many other commercial offerings within a 5-minute walk. The intermodal access to this site allows students, faculty and staff to commute to Creighton’s front door using the new public transportation. The seven-level Health Sciences Campus will enroll nearly 900 students, including future physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, pharmacists and physician assistants by 2025. Design for the campus takes inspiration from Creighton’s education ethos, “Cura Personalis” (care for the whole person), to create spaces that emphasize occupants’ physical, mental, social and emotional well-being. The design uses active learning spaces and simulation labs to engage the mind, interconnecting staircases to promote physical movement, and natural access, daylighting and open communal spaces to support emotional and social health. The architecture reflects the surrounding environment while creating a syncopated rhythm that is reminiscent of its urban surroundings, but done in a new way that in its simplicity creates movement through the architecture’s relationships. The slight shifts of the masses and fenestration create movement that allows the building to be everchanging and reflective of the program within. The glazing reflects its urban and mountainous environment differently throughout the day and night. Sustainable design elements were an important echo of the project's mission. The site selection, access to public transportation, and response to the urban condition supported the building's response to its city. Energy-efficient mechanical systems, a high-performance facade, rain harvesting, and orientation to natural surroundings supported the building's performance. The design of the building's human movement was centered around the well-being spaces which allowed for access to natural ventilation, outdoor study environments, vertical connections and diverse technology that enhance the learning environment and emphasize collaborative pedagogy.
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