asu college of nursing & healthcare innovation groundbreaking for second building marks new era
Facility aids in addressing shortage of nurses in Arizona and nationwide
PHOENIX, April 1, 2008 -- The Arizona State University College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation broke ground today for its second building at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix Campus during the same year the college is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
From its humble beginnings in the basement of Matthews Library in Tempe half a century ago, the college has expanded into state-of-the-art facilities in downtown Phoenix that encompass all of today’s modern nursing and healthcare student needs. The College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation was one of three pioneering colleges to move to the city’s core when the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus was established in 2006.
Now the college is ushering in a new era of helping to meet the nation’s nursing shortage with the groundbreaking of their second building downtown. Arizona has only 681 registered nurses per 100,000 people, well below the national average of 825 RNs per 100,000 people, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Coupled with an expanding and aging population, the need for nurses in the state and country will only grow more acute.
"This expansion marks another landmark milestone in our history and an exciting path for our future," said Bernadette Melnyk, Dean and Distinguished Foundation Professor in Nursing. "The additional building will provide much needed space to continue to offer the highest quality of educational programs and the most cutting-edge research to guide best practices as well as the opportunity to continue to launch many new innovative initiatives that will improve the health of Arizona residents."
The new five-story, 84,000 square-foot facility will provide five new classrooms for nursing students. The building will also serve as a northern gateway to ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. Located at Third and Fillmore streets, the modern glass and copper structure includes a 200-seat auditorium, student facilities and faculty office and research space. The building will include several sustainable elements and Silver LEED certification will be sought from the United States Green Building Council once construction is complete.
Public spaces incorporated throughout the design create green areas such as gardens at Fillmore and Third Street and a shaded plaza between the new and existing building. The main lobby reaches two stories high and is overlooked by a student lounge and conference space. Outdoor balconies on the south and west sides create comfortable outdoor environments for students, staff and faculty.
The building skin is designed to maximize daylight inside while providing protection from the sun. Shading devices block direct sun from windows on the south, east and west facades while the north facade is fully glazed to allow maximum penetration of daylight into office and research space.
The College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation will initially occupy floors one through three in the building. The fourth and fifth floors will be occupied by non-nursing ASU units and City of Phoenix offices. The City of Phoenix and ASU partnered to build the campus and the new nursing building as part of a $223 million City of Phoenix bond that passed in 2006. Completion of the college’s newest facility is scheduled for fall of 2009.
