The University of Colorado knew they had a unique opportunity to leverage a former Army site to create a state-of-the-art medical campus. The new campus consists of three zones: education, research and clinical care. The University teamed with Kahler Slater as the health sciences architect and local firm AR7 to design the first facility in the new education zone.

As planning began, the University decided to implement a new teaching methodology centered on multidisciplinary learning and research. Intentionally designed to facilitate Interprofessional Education, the Medical Education building brings together students from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Dental, Pharmacy and Public Health to learn side-by-side in an interdisciplinary environment. Students from these schools study and learn together in classroom, lab and simulation environments. The Center for Advancing Professional Excellence includes high-tech simulation labs, the anatomy lab, nursing simulation suites and the pharmaceutical care learning center where pharmacy students learn how to compound medications and formulate IVs.

Flexible group areas allow spontaneous gatherings, further encouraging relationships between the students from various medical disciplines. By creating experiences that closely replicate the ways medical professionals interact in the real world, students are able to take a more personalized approach to patient care, improving communication skills and connecting with the people they serve.