Arizona School of Health Sciences

Mesa, Arizona

Firm

Durrant

Client

Walton General Contractors, Inc.

Area

100,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$11,200,000

Completion Date

11/2001

A division of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic medicine, the facility offers postgraduate two- and three-year professional specialty healthcare degrees. A curving 55-foot-tall sandstone wall sweeps through the splayed building geometry, providing a backdrop to the northern building entry and the southern outdoor plaza and water feature.
Providing a distinct building identity and framing the space between the two building wings, the sandstone wall also is used as a backdrop to the two-story indoor lobby. Deep overhangs, steel shade structures and deepened window mullions are used to shade large expanses of glass.
The building geometry organizes the space program between east and west for the library, auditorium, tiered lecture rooms and classrooms on the ground floor. Laboratories and faculty offices are on the second floor. Ground concrete floors in the lobby and circulation space provide continuity from the exposed aggregate exterior walkways. The outdoor spaces are developed with shaded areas for socialization and dining, while green lawn areas encourage outdoor recreation.