Construction began in February 2025, and the $300 million, 330,000-square-foot facility is set to open in August 2027. Construction began in February 2025, and the $300 million, 330,000-square-foot facility is set to open in August 2027. | Photo Credit: The University of South Carolina
By Lindsey Coulter
COLUMBIA, S.C. –– The University of South Carolina (USC), has reached a major milestone with the “topping out” of the new School of Medicine at the university’s Health Sciences Campus in Columbia’s BullStreet District. This marks the placement of a building’s final structural steel beam. USC students, staff, and project team members had the opportunity to sign two beams, both of which will be permanently installed and displayed in the building.
Construction began in February 2025, and the $300 million, 330,000-square-foot facility is set to open in August 2027. The project represents a public-private partnership between USC and national integrated real estate development construction firm Gilbane, which is leading the planning, design, development and construction of the project. Other key project members include BOUDREAUX as lead architect in collaboration with design architect SLAM Collaborative, construction manager partner Cumming, construction manager partner Brownstone Construction Group and development consultant Restoration 52.
Upon completion, the new facility will blur the boundaries between interdisciplinary research and medical education, offering state-of-the-art classrooms, research labs, medical simulations spaces, health-sciences library, and collaborative indoor and outdoor learning and event spaces.
“We are proud to partner with the University of South Carolina in delivering their new School of Medicine, a significant investment by USC in innovative research and medical education, and the first building on its new Health Sciences Campus” said John Keegan, Senior Vice President at Gilbane Development, in a statement. “Though public-private partnerships such as this, Gilbane is helping to transform university campuses across the country, developing and building everything from academic and research spaces to student housing to auxiliary facilities.”
“For inspiration, the USC School of Medicine Building at the Health Sciences Campus looks back to the legacy of thoughtfully conceived architecture and outdoor spaces on the main campus while simultaneously looking forward to establishing an ecosystem for sustaining state-of-the-art health sciences education and research,” add University Architect Derek Gruner. “Education and interdisciplinary research will be combined under one roof so that each will engage with and contribute to the other through extraordinary classrooms, well-equipped simulation spaces, wet and dry labs, numerous study environments, and dramatic public spaces.”
The realization of the new Health Sciences Campus is one of the key goals of USC Next, a 10-year master plan of proposed improvements and capital projects designed to meet the needs of USC Columbia students, faculty, and staff through 2034. The campus will seamlessly integrate with the broader BullStreet District, contributing to its vibrant, mixed-use community.