Inspiring Minds through Innovation

The Forest Park campus of St. Louis Community College is a leading provider of health technology training but the facilities within the 50-year-old building were aging, and the existing infrastructure — and lack of space — no longer allowed for renovations.

KAI was awarded the consulting contract to design a new state-of-the-art Allied Health Center. The building creates a new front door for the campus, sited in a highly visible location along I-64, with 150,000 vehicles passing daily.

The new structure consolidates the Forest Park campus’ existing Allied Health programs (Nursing, Respiratory Care, Clinical Laboratory Technology, Surgery Technology, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting, Radiology Technologies, and Diagnostic Medical Sonography), and relocates the EMT/Paramedic training currently offered at another campus. A fourth floor was added to the project for administration and future expansion.

KAI held workshops with administration, staff and faculty so that the final design was programmed to closely meet the needs of end users. Spaces were designed for flexibility and future re-use. Spaces include a dental clinic, surgery technology laboratories, other teaching labs, classrooms, computer rooms, study areas, lounges, conference rooms and office suites.

The KAI team provided technical services necessary to construct the new Center to achieve LEED Silver certification. The project also included overall site development and demolition of portions of the A and B Towers of the East Wing to make way for the new building as well as the design of a new stair tower.