At the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, a newly constructed building is bringing together multiple departments and disciplines to create a place where innovation will thrive.
With seven stories and over 390,000 sq. ft., the Anschutz Health Science Building (AHSB) will be a “hugely integral part of the future of the innovation ecosystem on this campus,” says Don Elliman, the Chancellor of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. To further the mission of the departments that will be housed in this building, the design of the building itself needed to foster the spirit of collaboration and innovation.
The exterior features a unitized system of glass and aluminum that is supported by unique concrete v-columns. The interior of the building includes multiple floors of offices, laboratory space, a data center, and a conference center as well as multiple departments, including the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine and the Center for Professional Excellence. As a result, the building needed to create unity while also maintaining dedicated space for a variety of purposes.
Innovative Glass for an Innovative Space
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One of the most distinct interior features is a large atrium that rises the full height of the interior’s seven stories, culminating in three skylights that allow natural light to flood the building. Clinical spaces have traditionally been cold and impersonal with little natural light, but this building aims to take full advantage of Colorado’s sun and views of the Front Range.
Using glass walls from Avanti Systems, the atrium in the AHSB is one of the unifying spaces that creates cohesion among the different disciplines and departments that will call this building home. The atrium also features a space that will seat up to 1,700 people for large events like commencements, so the materials used truly needed to support a multi-functional space.
To create a modern space that celebrates natural elements, the atrium was inspired by a rock canyon and features ledges, outcroppings, and nooks and crannies that are visible from the walkways that wrap around the building’s interior. Rather than enclosing the walkways with traditional walls, this design utilizes glass partition panels, allowing people to see each other as they travel through the building, and enhancing the collaborative spirit of the project.
For the glass walls that line the atrium, the design team chose the SolareTM Single Glazed Frameless Partition System panels with temper coated glass and dark bronze tracks. This frameless glass wall system provided the ideal material to create an open feel without visual obstruction while simultaneously attending to the acoustic needs of the space.
With an STC Rating of 41, the panels are engineered for sound and feature an acoustic frame that enhances the acoustic comfort of the space. SolareTM panels also meet LEED standards which contribute to the building’s LEED Gold rating.
The excitement over this new building on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is palpable. “This building is the next phase of our future,” says Elliman, “and it’s really 390,000 square feet of possibilities.”
Kathleen C. Barnes, PhD Director, Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine looks forward to the possibilities that this space will offer, saying “it’s a healing space and an absolutely beautiful space. The possibilities will be endless.” Avanti Systems is proud to have contributed to a design that strives to have a positive impact on the future of education and medicine.