vagelos education center in NY by diller scofidio + renfro

the vagelos education center is a medical and graduate education building at new york’s columbia university medical center. the structure, designed by diller scofidio + renfro in collaboration with gensler as executive architect, forms a 100,000-square-foot, 14-storey glass tower that incorporates a range of classrooms and collaboration spaces, as well as a modern simulation center to reflect how medicine is taught and practiced in the 21st century.

interior view of the cheryl and philip milstein family lobby under construction
all images by nic lehoux, courtesy of diller scofidio + renfro

an important part of DS+R’s design is the ‘study cascade’, a network of spaces distributed across oversized landings along an open 14-storey stair — a single, interconnected vertical space that extends from the lobby to the top of the building. these areas open onto south-facing outdoor spaces and terraces. other aspects of the building include ‘academic neighborhoods’ — groups of classrooms that can be easily be reconfigured — and a 275-seat multi-purpose auditorium.

the building will open on august 15, 2016

the building also integrates a range of sustainable features, including locally sourced materials, green roof technologies, and a mechanical system that minimizes energy and water use. even the façade features ceramic ‘frit’ patterns, baked onto the exterior glazing to diffuse sunlight. the vagelos education center works toward the goal of minimizing CUMC’s carbon footprint and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2025.

exterior view at dusk of the south façade and study cascade

‘space matters for structured and informal learning,’ said elizabeth diller, founding partner at diller scofidio + renfro. ‘to support columbia’s progressive medical education program, we designed a building that will nurture collaboration. its defining feature is the study cascade — a 14-story network of vertically linked spaces in a variety of sizes, both focused and social, private and communal, indoors and out.’

the scheme will open to faculty and students on august 15, 2016 for the start of the fall term. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

technical and material description

internal organization

project info:

design and construction team —

diller scofidio + renfro
partner-in-charge: elizabeth diller
principal designers: ricardo scofidio AIA, charles renfro AIA, benjamin gilmartin AIA
project director: anthony saby
project architect: chris hillyard, AIA
design team: chris andreacola AIA, david chacon AIA, christopher kupski AIA LEED AP, barak pliskin AIA LEED AP, kevin rice AIA, gerard sullivan AIA, mary broaddus, charles curran, robert donnelly, amber foo, yoon-young hur, joshua jow, andreas kostopoulos, joseph dart messick, patrick ngo, matt ostrow, stefano paiocchi, jesse saylor, jack solomon, hallie terzopolos, elizabeth wisecarver

gensler
principal-in-charge: madeline burke-vigeland AIA, LEED AP
project manager: kristian gregerson AIA
technical director: ambrose aliaga-kelly AIA
design team: joanne fernando AIA, jinho kim AIA, michelle neary AIA, bill dubois, ana espejo, mariano ortiz, henry hong RA, scott wilson AIA

structural engineer: leslie e. robertson associates (LERA)
MEP engineer: jaros baum & bolles (JB&B)
landscape architect: SCAPE/landscape architecture
curtain wall consultants: buro happold consulting engineers P.C.
lighting consultants: tillotson design associates
acoustic / audio / visual consultants: cerami & associates, inc.
building code consultants: milrose consultants, inc.
elevator consultants: jenkins & huntington, inc. (JHI)
graphic designers: 2×4 and gensler
civil / geotechnical engineers: thornton tomasetti, weidlinger transportation practice
security and IT consultants: jaros baum & bolles (JB&B)
sustainability consultants: vidaris inc.
foodservice consultants: cini-little international, inc.
construction managers: FJ sciame construction co., inc.
owners representative: group PMX