Shenandoah University, Health & Life Sciences Building

Winchester, Virginia

Firm

ESa

Client

Shenandoah University

Area

17,088 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$19,200,000

Completion Date

08/2014

Associated firms: Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. – Contractor, I. C. Thomasson Associates, Inc. – MEP, KSi Structural Engineers, SST Planners – Laboratory Planning Consultants

Inspired by the idea of “education as illumination,” the Health & Life Sciences Building promotes wellness and campus connectivity by bringing natural light into the facility through a three-story central atrium and expansive windows. The state-of-the-art facility houses the School of Nursing; School of Health Professions (athletic training, physical therapy and respiratory care); and the College of Arts and Sciences (biology and chemistry). Skills labs and lab space for chemistry and the sciences also are provided. Situated on Shenandoah University’s main campus, the new facility consolidates multiple programs from two satellite campuses, and encourages student collaboration and engagement.
Designed for flexibility, the nursing labs permit instructors to transition easily between group instruction and one-on-one training and observation. A simulation suite that uses interactive patient mannequins enables instructors to assess students’ technical capacity through more realistic scenarios. A 16-station cadaver lab replaces an older off-campus lab with larger, more functional space. Just as the new building serves as a beacon of light for the campus, the students trained and taught there will become beacons of light for the communities that they will serve.