Duke Opens First New Medical Building in 80 Years
DURHAM, N.C. — For the first time in more than 80 years, Duke University School of Medicine welcomed a new modern medical education building to its campus.
Designed by Duda/Paine Architects, the six-story, 104,000-square-foot Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education opened its doors to students after two years of construction.
Opened to students in January, the centrally located health education building offers state-of-the-art learning facilities with greater accessibility, according to lead architect Turan Duda, AIA.
“The site was strategically located in the best location, right in the heart of campus, Duda said. “For the students this could not be a better situation.”
Dr. Colleen Grochowski, associate dean of curricular affairs, said the repositioning of facilities also provided greater morale among peers.
“This building is accessible to students in every year of their curriculum,” Dr. Grochowski said. “They love seeing each other and having that sense of community, it really helps students get through it all.”
Though one of the best features of the MDBTSC — the site itself — also proved to be the greatest challenge faced by architects.
“The site was never thought of as a viable site for a building,” Duda said.
The Coal Pile Drive site previously hosted a massive coal pile, which was used to heat Duke buildings since the 1920s. But in an effort to become carbon neutral by 2024 and expand the medical campus, the university stopped reloading the pile in February 2009. Balfour Beatty Construction then began construction in early 2011.
The $53 million center was largely funded by a $35 million contribution from The Duke Endowment as well as other philanthropic gifts.
Dr. Grochowski described the contributions as a great honor to medical students and staff who were sorely lacking in study spaces. The former building was dark and without flexible teaching rooms, Dr. Grochowski said, but the new light-filled, versatile MDBTSC tripled study spaces, houses a floor dedicated to simulation rooms and includes a 400-seat great hall that will advance the medical mission of Duke Medical School.
“We now have the space to actually try new things, to be innovative,” Dr. Grochowksi said. “I’m sure we’re going to try new things in these spaces we haven’t even thought of yet.”
In their design, Duda said architects concentrated on two ideals of Duke Medical School.
First, they wanted to honor the university’s emphasis on team-based learning, which created a need for facilities that could support small group learning and larger lectures or discussions.
“So many situations in medicine are judgment calls,” Duda said. “To know there’s a team of people coming to the best conclusion for a patient is wonderful.”
Along with the great hall and 150-seat learning hall, the building also has several smaller learning spaces for small group learning.
Second, the building supports the use of the newest forms of medical technology.
“Teaching medicine is transforming dramatically,” Duda said. “Technology is completely changing how they teach.”
Three simulation rooms on the sixth floor feature mock clinical exam rooms, surgical suites and emergency rooms in order for students to gain the most technologically advanced medical education.
Additionally, architects wanted to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the MDBTSC to allow sleep-deprived, stress-filled students who may study in the center for 16 to 18 hours a day to feel a sense of home and belonging, Duda said.
“Medical students practically live in these buildings,” Duda said. “We need to make this as comfortable, supportive and positive space as possible.”
Duda said the change of surroundings and increased spirits among students has already demonstrated higher test scores.
With a new building, location and sense of communal support, the overall reaction from students and staff is elatedness, Dr. Grochowski said.
“People are still walking around with cheesy grins on their faces,” Dr. Grochowski said. “There is so much joy in here.”