Indiana University Approves Design for 11-Story Medical Education Building

The Board of Trustees at Indiana University recently approved the design of a new Medical Education Building for the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. The new facility will stand 11 stories tall, measure in at roughly 326,200 square feet and provide much-needed additional space for the instructional and research needs of various programs, according to a university news release.

The building will feature a three-story base with an eight-story tower above its southern quarter. The base will contain medical education facilities like support space, shell space for a research vivarium, classrooms, a medical library and collaborative learning spaces, as well as a central gathering space. The tower will contain three floors of faculty offices (floors 5–7) and three floors of flexible research space, as well as research support services and office space (floors 8­–10). The fourth and eleventh floors will serve as fully mechanical spaces that will provide mechanical services for the structure.

According to the news release, “The architecture expresses the unique character of Indiana University with its use of Indiana limestone and precast concrete accents. Along the first floor, warm brick accents will give scale to the building and acknowledge the use of brick on adjacent existing buildings.”

Local news reports that the new facility will be co-located with the Indianapolis Academic Health Center as part of a $1.6-billion development by IU Health in downtown Indianapolis.

The architectural design was developed by Browning Day and Perkins&Will. A university news story from 2020 reports that the project will cost an estimated $245 million, $75 million of which will be requested from the state of Indiana.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?