Columbia University Medical Center’s new, state-of-the-art medical and graduate education building was completed in time to open for the fall term. Construction of the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center began in September of 2013. The building was designed to reshape the look and feel of the Medical Center campus and to create spaces that facilitate the development of skills essential for modern medical practice. This 100,000-square-foot, glass, concrete and steel center’s most distinguishing feather is a network of social and study spaces distributed along an exposed, interconnected vertical staircase, known as the “Study Cascade” which extends the height of the 14 story building.
(Image courtesy of Jenny Gorman via Columbia University Media)
Important features of the Vegelos Education center include:
- Advanced clinical simulation center, which hosts mock examination rooms, clinics and operating rooms.
- Student Commons, which feature a café, computer work area and computer labs
- Multi-purpose auditorium, a 275-seat flexible space used for campus-wide events such as lectures, screenings, and concerts
- “Academic Neighborhoods,” groups of classrooms that can be configured according to need by operable partitions, drop-down screens and large-scale multi-user touch screens, suspended ceilings, and distributed power and data at the floor
- Anatomy Quad, a flexible learning space with integrated screens and task lighting
In an article for the CUMC Newsroom Lee Goldman, MD, Executive Vice President and Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Medicine at Columbia University said, “Our new education building will ensure that Columbia continues to train superior doctors and researchers, educated in the latest techniques, as medicine continues to evolve rapidly throughout the 21st century. The building also will allow us to centralize key activities in a state-of-the-art facility that reflects our commitment to providing world-class instruction and a superb learning environment for students.”
The building is named after P. Roy Vagelos, MD, a distinguished alumnus of Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, and his wife, Diana Vagelos, an alumna of Barnard College and the Vice Chair of the Trustees of Barnard College. Their $50 Million initial lead gift helped launch the fundraising for this $185 million dollar project. “We are so grateful for Roy and Diana’s dedication to Columbia, not only through their own generous gift for this important new education building, but also the inspiration they provide to others,” said Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger.
This building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro takes advantage of an incredible view of the Hudson River and the Palisades. The building also integrates a range of sustainable features—including locally sourced materials, green roof technologies, an innovative mechanical system that minimizes energy and water use, and a façade featuring ceramic “frit” patterns that are baked onto the exterior glass to diffuse sunlight.
More about NewYork’s Columbia University:
Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. Besides the Vagelos Education Center, other initiatives to revitalize the campus include renovating several existing buildings, and constructing new spaces, including the new home for the Columbia School of Nursing.
On Wednesday, October 4, 2017 Biotechnology Calendar Inc will host the 8th annual BioResearch Product Faire™ Event held at the Armory Track and Field, adjacent to the Columbia University campus. This event allows laboratory equipment suppliers to meet with researchers, lab managers, professors, and purchasing agents interested in finding the best and newest equipment and technologies to use in their lab. To learn more about participating this or other events in New York, please visit the link below or call (530) 272-6675:
