Baker Barrios Architects announced the completion of an osteopathic medical school designed by the firm: Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM) in Memphis, Tennessee.
To date, Baker Barrios has designed more osteopathic medical schools than any other architecture firm in the country, establishing its expertise in serving this growing health care sector.
Undergoing an extensive $34 million redesign and renovation, a 94,000-square-foot building in Memphis’ medical district that previously served as classrooms and parking for the university now houses the newly opened BUCOM.
The facility features the latest technology and amenities popular among contemporary medical schools including an anatomy lab with capacity for 30 anatomy tables; advanced simulation and display equipment, including digital tables for virtual dissection; an osteopathic manipulative medicine lab for hands-on learning; four simulation rooms with high-fidelity patients; and 16 standardized patient rooms where students can interact with actors who simulate clinical scenarios.
“Adaptive reuse always presents unique challenges, and this project was no different,” said Johnny Dagher, principal with Baker Barrios. “Renovating a building of this size, which was originally a concrete parking structure with a pre-engineered metal building added to the second floor years later, required overcoming structural challenges while accommodating a specific design program tailored for a modern school of osteopathic medicine. But we — and our client — are thrilled with the outcome.”
While structural and code requirements, along with the specific elements required for accreditation as a COM school, were the biggest factors in designing this building, the unique topography of the mid-South and its relationship with the Mississippi River informed most of the visual design.
Inspiration also came from the mission of Baptist University itself. “The university is centered around fostering an atmosphere of respect for cultural diversity and the dignity of all persons, which also aligns with overall osteopathic principles of the ‘whole-person’ approach,” continued Dagher. “We carried both throughout the design, with multiple ‘third spaces’ for students and educators to organically connect, learning spaces to accommodate a variety of needs, as well as amenities to provide respite and an opportunity to recharge through meditation, prayer or whatever the individual seeks.”
BUCOM is part of the Baptist Memorial Health Care (BMHC) system, which is one of the largest health care systems in the mid-South region. It welcomed its first students this fall.
