The University of Colorado knew they had a unique opportunity to leverage a former Army site to create a state-of-the-art medical campus. The new campus consists of three zones: education, research and clinical care. The University teamed with Kahler Slater as the health sciences architect and local firm AR7 to design the first facility in the new education zone.

During planning the University implemented a new teaching methodology centered on multidisciplinary learning and research. Intentionally designed to facilitate interprofessional education, the Medical Education building brings together students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dental, Pharmacy and Public Health to learn side-by-side. Students from these schools’ study and learn together in classroom, lab and simulation environments. The Center for Advancing Professional Excellence includes high-tech simulation labs, an anatomy lab, nursing simulation suites and a pharmaceutical care learning center where pharmacy students learn how to compound medications and formulate IVs.

Flexible group areas allow spontaneous gatherings and encourage relationships between students from various medical disciplines. By creating experiences that closely replicate the ways medical professionals interact in the real world, students can take a more personalized approach to patient care, improving communication skills and connecting with the people they serve.