Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and EYP collaborated to complete the College of Dentistry & Bio-Engineering Institute for NYU College of Nursing in New York, New York.

Interlocking varied educational, research and student life spaces, the NYU College of Nursing, College of Dentistry & Bio-Engineering Institute houses three, distinct, cutting-edge institutes within a single, connected, vertical campus.

Located in a dense, urban setting, the eleven-story complex is organized around an open, central stair that encourages collaboration between both individual students and complementary disciplines, while also supporting the University’s “Active Building” initiative by promoting physical activity and health.

The program includes 27 state-of-the-art simulation spaces, research labs, tiered and flat classrooms, lecture halls, social spaces and informal study areas, as well as, on the top floor, an executive conference center to bring the entire medical community together with iconic views of the East River and Empire State Building.

This mix of programming is expressed in a dynamic terracotta and glass façade. Solid walls with small window openings reflect “dense” program such as classrooms and core lab facilities while larger apertures at offices and conference rooms allow more daylight into those spaces. At the third floor Learning Commons, a glassy, L-shaped corner is carved out to showcase the space, and floor-to-ceiling glass reveals the activity within. The result is a beautiful, student-centered learning complex that enables the advancement of health education, research, and practice.

Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, EYP
Photography: Tim Griffith