Dorrance H. Hamilton Building
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA
253,000 square feet
The Dorrance H. Hamilton Building transforms Thomas Jefferson University's urban campus by creating an integrated learning medical educational facility and center of community gathering. It brings together students from different medical disciplines into one integrated classroom and represents a transformation in medical education. The building design supports communal learning with a variety of simulation rooms, a clinical skills center with virtual diagnostic and surgical suites, and simulation labs ranging from obstetrics to intensive care.
The six-story building, now the heart of TJU's academic campus, includes a technologically advanced auditorium, a clinical skills assessment center featuring virtual diagnostic and surgical suites, a rooftop terrace, small study spaces, and classrooms. A 60,000-square-foot urban plaza, designed by Andropogon Associates, is one of the largest green spaces in central Philadelphia and promotes town-gown unity with seating and public art installations.
Prior to construction of this complex, the parking garages that served the university consumed half a city block. The new 215-car parking facility is located underground, allowing the campus (and the city) to reclaim more than an acre of street-level space.
