Penn State University recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the expansion and renovation to its Nursing Sciences Building. This significant project marks a new era for the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at the University Park campus and for the ability to serve the region’s expanding healthcare needs.
The team is led by Luis Vildostegui, Principal-in-Charge, Neil Martin, Design Principal and Karen Parzych, Principal and Health Sciences Programmer/Planner, with support from both our Philadelphia and Glastonbury offices. Working in close collaboration with the esteemed Penn State team, this project aims to deliver innovative spaces that will foster the development of future nurse leaders.
Key Initiatives of the Expanded Facility:
- Unified Community: For the first time, classes and faculty offices will be consolidated under one expanded roof, creating a distinct home for the College of Nursing that includes a dynamic new Active Learning Center environment (ALC) with 300 seats.
- Natural Lighting: Exterior walls will be opened to flood interior spaces with natural light, harmonizing the building’s façade with the rest of the campus.
- Environmental Performance: A new exterior enclosure and mechanical system enhancements will combine to significantly improve the building’s environmental performance and promote energy responsibility.
- Improved Navigation: Reconfigured floor plans will simplify navigation and reconfigure traditional offices into modern collaborative layouts, creating a more practical and approachable experience for students, faculty, and staff.
- Second Floor Transformation: A new student gateway will celebrate the connection of the Nursing Science Building to the Hub Lawn.
- Enhanced Student Experience: A communal Learning Commons, outdoor terrace, and a variety of collaboration and study spaces evidence an elevated focus on enhancing the student experience.
- Advanced Learning Environments: New simulation and controls rooms, along with practical hospital infrastructure in classrooms, will enable hands-on learning, building critical skills and enhancing student confidence in real-time.
- Increased Capacity: Flexible active learning spaces will grow by 30%, equipping the College of Nursing to more effectively address the growing demand for more nurses across Pennsylvania and the US.
Take a look at the video below to see a recap of the May 6th groundbreaking event and hear the exciting words from members of the Penn State community. The project is set to complete for the Fall 2025 semester.
