Structure magazine features WashU School of Medicine

In this article published by Structure magazine, CannonDesign's structural engineering team highlights the unique steps they took to offer an ultra-flexible, highly advanced research environment for the Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in St. Louis, Missouri. Seeking to become the nation’s leading research program for National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, stakeholders at WUSM envisioned a laboratory facility that could readily adapt to the rapidly evolving science happening within.

CannonDesign's structural engineers offered integrated design solutions so that the building could support rapidly evolving research needs without requiring intensive renovation. The reinforced concrete structure incorporates a pan-joist floor system that easily accommodates future floor openings while providing superior vibration performance in sensitive lab spaces. A gracefully curved pedestrian bridge provides essential "coatless" access for researchers and clinicians to move between other buildings on campus.

Now completed, the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States. The 11-story, 609,000-square-foot NRB is home to more than 100 research teams working together in a building where architectural and structural design is intrinsically tied to the goals and needs of the institution.