“Building a new medical school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our university and region, and a critical step in evolving the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus into an academic health center on par with those of Pittsburgh and Cleveland,” said Michael E. Cain, vice president for health sciences and dean of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Kenneth Drucker, FAIA, design principal for the project and design director for HOK’s New York office, said his team approached the medical school project “after a thorough analysis of the scale and texture of the city and the history, quality and craft of Buffalo architecture.”

“UB has world-class aspirations for the architecture, design and planning of the medical school and site,” he said. “The project presents an exciting opportunity to transform the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and make a bold statement for architecture and urban design in Buffalo. We are pleased to have been selected for such a meaningful project, which will prepare students for medical and research careers in an inspiring research-focused academic medical center.”

UB’s selection committee cited HOK’s experience designing some of the world’s highest profile and most innovative health sciences facilities.

HOK designed the acclaimed King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia and recently won an international competition to design the Fondazione Ri.MED Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center in Palermo, Sicily. The firm also served as lead designer for the University of Chicago’s William Eckhardt Research Center and the Francis Crick Institute’s cardiovascular and cancer research center in central London, which will be Europe’s largest center for biomedical research and innovation. HOK’s experience includes designing medical centers for Ohio State University in Columbus, Florida State University, the University of Alberta, Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Central Florida, The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Pennsylvania, as well as Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and LA County + USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Bill Odell, FAIA, HOK’s director of science and technology, led many of those projects. “The University at Buffalo has a tremendous opportunity to build state-of-the-art new facilities while redefining 21st century medical education and translational research,” he said. “Most other academic medical centers in the world would love to have the opportunity that UB has on this site.”

The proposed $375 million medical school, funded in part by NYSUNY 2020 legislation, is a key component of the UB 2020 plan for academic excellence, which is intended to benefit students, faculty, staff and the Western New York community.

“This new medical center will become a catalyst for further development in downtown Buffalo and Western New York, and support the convergence of technology and research that will transform the practice of medicine,” said Jim Berge, AIA, principal-in-charge for the project and HOK’s director of science and technology in New York.

Reflecting UB’s sustainability and climate-impact reduction goals, HOK will design a highly sustainable building and target Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Groundbreaking for the medical school is scheduled for fall 2013 and construction is expected to be complete in 2016.

HOK is a global architectural firm that provides planning and design solutions for high performance, sustainable buildings and communities. Through its collaborative network of 25 offices worldwide, the firm delivers design excellence and innovation to clients globally. Founded in 1955, HOK’s expertise includes architecture, engineering, interiors, strategic facility planning, consulting, lighting, graphics, and construction services. DesignIntelligence ranked HOK as the No. 1 role model for sustainable and high performance design.

Official name of the project: University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Location: Buffalo, NY
Client: University at Buffalo
Architects / Designers: HOK
Budget: $375 million
Project end date: 2016