Austin Peay State University Health Professions Building
Large Project (over 25,000 sf)
A new medical training facility with classrooms, student study areas, Simulation Labs, and Faculty / Administrative offices, and two Public Clinics to help train the next generation of medical professionals.
Project Statement
The new Health Professions Building at Austin Peay State University (APSU) brings together the School of Nursing, Allied Health, Psychological Counseling, Health & Human Performance, Social Work, Medical Lab Sciences, and the Dean’s Office for the College of Behavioral & Health Sciences. The facility features classrooms, student study areas, Simulation Labs, and Faculty and Administrative offices. In addition to lab and Simulation spaces, the program includes two public clinics—expanding access to care while providing real-world, hands-on training for students.
Composed of three- and four-story wings, the building strengthens APSU’s STEM corridor and introduces visual connections along key campus axes. The building’s design reflects its interior program through cantilevered volumes that reach toward campus, while transparent ground-floor façades activate the pedestrian experience and connect occupants to outdoor learning and gathering areas.
Coupled with targeted renovations to vacated spaces in McCord and Sundquist Halls, these enhancements respond to the growing demand for health professions and support the long-term success of APSU students.
Framework for Design Excellence Narrative
1. Design for Integration
The client’s primary goal with the Health Professions building is to unite all their Medical Training Programs in one building so integration was inherent to the success of the project itself. The program brought the APUS’s School of Nursing, Allied Health, Psychological Counseling, Health & Human Performance, Social Work, Medical Lab Sciences, and the Dean’s Office for the College of Behavioral & Health Sciences all under one roof. This unification allows students to be fully integrated with other medical training programs and allow for natural connection between the disciplines. The building itself is on APSU’s campus STEM corridor and takes material and massing cues from the neighboring projects. The ground floor level allows for full transparency into the shared communal spaces in the building while the upper translucent volumes allows for visibility into the highly technical Nursing Simulation and Phlebotomy Labs.
The façade patterning is meant to emulate Electrophoresis which is the technique used to separate DNA, RNA and protein molecules for further analyze.
The design seeks to elevate the level of architectural expression on the campus and raise the bar for future projects on campus.
The client’s primary goal for the Health Professions Building was to unite all their Medical Training Programs in one building so integration was essential to the project’s success. The program consolidates the APSU’s School of Nursing, Allied Health Psychological Counseling, Health and Human Performance, Social Work, Medical Lab Sciences, and the Dean’s Office for the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences all under one roof.
This unification allows students to be fully integrated with other medical training programs and supports natural connection between the disciplines. The building itself is on APSU’s campus STEM corridor and takes material and massing cues from the neighboring projects. The ground floor level allows for full transparency into the shared communal spaces in the building while the upper translucent volumes allow for visibility into the highly technical Nursing Simulation and Phlebotomy Labs.
1. Design for Equitable Communities
The program supports the larger community by training future health care professionals through specialized simulation labs, research facilities, and collaborative learning spaces. Many of APSU’s graduates continue their careers as health professionals within the Clarksville community and across Middle Tennessee.
In addition to this specialized training, students interact directly with the community through APSU’s Community Clinic partnership. The Clinic allows students to serve individuals and families as part of their education and provides low-cost counseling and psychotherapy services, along with psychological assessment. A dedicated entrance from the courtyard offers direct access to the Clinic for community members.
1. Design for Economy
APSU prioritized long-term performance by evaluating materials and systems through the lens of the building’s full lifespan. Brick masonry was selected for its durability, longevity, and strong connection to the campus context. Exposed concrete forms the building’s base, with careful attention to board-joint alignment and tie-hole patterns so the concrete reads as an intentional extension of the façade rhythm. Site planters are also constructed of exposed concrete and feature native plantings that require minimal irrigation.
The building was designed to meet Tennessee’s High Performance Building Review requirements for energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable design, while remaining aligned with the state project budget.
1. Design for Well-Being
With a rigorous academic schedule, it was essential that students had places to relax and connect between classes. The Commons, located on the ground level, was designed to feel light and open, inviting students to stay awhile and build community. Generous glazing strengthens a biophilic connection to nature and the outdoors, while the interior palette uses warm wood tones to reinforce that sense of comfort, even alongside the highly technical laboratory environments.
A central stair links the Commons to upper levels and encourages movement through a light-filled vertical spine.
At the rear entrance, a quieter, more introspective courtyard offers students and faculty an outdoor pause between classes. An upper-level, east-facing terrace provides an additional retreat and a welcome respite from the laboratory spaces.
Additional student amenities include a Level 01 café, giving students an easy option to grab healthy food between a busy slate of classes.
1. Design for Change
Medical training facilities require a high degree of specificity, but they also must remain adaptable as medicine and training techniques evolve. The laboratories and Simulation Labs were designed to flex with emerging technologies and shifting program needs. We gave particular attention to spaces that house large, specialized equipment, such as the CT Scanner, ensuring the equipment can be replaced in the future. A clear path of travel through the building, including access to loading, supports the efficient delivery and installation of new equipment and technologies.
Faculty office suites include a mix of private offices and hoteling stations to accommodate APSU’s growing and evolving staff. This range of workspace types also supports the University’s ability to onboard additional graduate researchers who rotate through the program and facility.
LEED/Green Certifications
N/A
Price/sq. ft. if provided
Withheld at Owner’s Request
Photo Captions
2\. Façade patterning along the community facing courtyard at Ford Street.
3\. Entrance to the public clinic and tiered courtyard for student gathering.
4\. Daylight permeates the student classrooms and training spaces throughout the building.
5\. Building volumes shift in response to site context, revealing secondary entrance at Jackson Alley.
6\. The Student Commons provides a bustling, activated space for students to meet with visibility to exterior gathering areas and private collaboration spaces above.
7\. Convenience stairs are implemented throughout the building to promote wellness and connectivity for students and faculty.
8\. Primary façade at corner of 8th Street and Marion showcasing the main entrance and bar of research lab spaces above. The building’s commanding scale at this corner directly responds to the University’s large Music / Mass Communications Center across the street.
9\. Second Level building plan highlighting general organization of spaces found throughout the building.
10\. Glass volumes intersect brick façade planes to serve as glowing campus beacons of learning on display.
