College of Health Professions

The new Virginia Commonwealth University College of Health Professions unites the university’s top-ranked allied health programs and the Virginia Center on Aging into a single, eight-story, 154,000-square-foot academic building. Previously spread across multiple buildings on two campuses, these academic units now share a purpose-built environment that supports program growth, interdisciplinary research, and integrated healthcare studies.

Designed to achieve LEED Silver certification, the facility features classrooms, laboratories, administrative and faculty offices, diagnostic technology suites, simulation environments, an auditorium, and numerous informal gathering areas that promote student collaboration and community engagement.

A Comprehensive Hub for Interdisciplinary Allied Health Training

The building supports a diverse range of programs—including Gerontology, Health Administration, Physical Therapy, and Radiation Sciences—through shared teaching resources and advanced instructional technologies. Amenities include asynchronous distance-learning classrooms, high-fidelity simulation suites, observation and control rooms, and a state-of-the-art Smart Home Apartment used by therapy departments to train students in real-life residential care scenarios.

Simulated clinical environments replicate modern hospital settings with operating rooms, acute-care and recovery spaces, diagnostic imaging suites, and a virtual linear accelerator for radiation sciences education. The facility also houses a double-height biomechanics research lab and several maker labs that support hands-on exploration and prototype development.

High-Performance MEP Systems Designed for Safety, Flexibility, and Efficiency

In collaboration with Page, Mueller Associates engineered highly specialized mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to support the building’s demanding academic, clinical, and research functions. Key systems include:

Mechanical Systems

• Combined VAV air distribution with perimeter finned-tube radiation for heating and cooling

• Custom-designed, roof-mounted air-handling units

• Vertical-discharge, high-plume dilution fans for laboratory exhaust

• Two water-cooled centrifugal chillers supplying chilled water

• Stair pressurization fans and smoke-purge systems for fire and life safety

Electrical Systems

• Pad-mounted exterior transformer feeding a 3000A, 480Y/277V switchboard

• Dedicated laboratory panelboards serving both large and small research spaces

• A 300kW diesel generator providing emergency backup power

• LED lighting throughout for energy efficiency

• Extensive metering systems providing real-time energy and equipment performance data

Plumbing Systems

• Systems designed to support simulation labs, diagnostics suites, hands-on therapy environments, and the building’s Smart Home Apartment

• Strategies highlighted in a May 2023 Plumbing Engineer article by Mueller’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles J. Swope, PE, CPD, LEED AP BD+C: “Reaching New Heights in Plumbing Design.”

These integrated systems provide reliability, occupant comfort, and operational flexibility—supporting VCU’s commitment to exceptional clinical education and advanced research in allied health disciplines.

Read more about Mueller’s work on the College of Health Professions in our newsletter Momentum.