The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) selected Edward Tucker Architects to lead a transformative renovation and expansion of the existing Fredric W. Smith Science Building.  The firm assembled a premier design team for the project, including Hasenstab Architects as architectural and research laboratory design consultants, GAI Consultants as site/civil engineers and landscape architects, Schaefer as structural engineers, and Scheeser Buckley Mayfield as mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers.

The project will expand research opportunities for students, attract top-tier faculty and researchers, and position WVSOM as a leading center for advanced research and education. The scope includes an expanded facility with a new three-story addition with research laboratories, an anatomy lab, a vivarium, and supporting spaces, along with an open laboratory concept that promotes transparency, collaboration, and visibility into ongoing research activities. Interior and exterior materials are inspired by WVSOM’s brand identity and the natural landscape of West Virginia, reinforcing a strong sense of place.

Funded by a $29 million appropriation from the West Virginia Legislature and a $6 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the project will expand WVSOM’s research and technical workforce, create new job opportunities, and foster collaboration with private industry. Construction is slated to begin in 2026.

Edward Tucker Architects has partnered with Kings Daughter’s Medical Center to design the Central Sterile Processing Department. The project covers 20,000 square feet of renovated hospital space. Completed with a budget of $9.5 million, the Central Sterile Department will provide sterile equipment for 10 general surgery O.R.’s and 3 cystoscopy rooms. The space was finished with updated staff lockers and break space, increased storage for supplies, and a flow of work to create seamless movement of equipment out of the department.

The Outpatient Medical Center for Cabell Huntington Hospital is a six-floor, multiple occupancy outpatient medical building. The building, approximately 78,000 square feet, connects to the existing parking structure via elevated pedestrian bridges to improve access and limit traffic issues.

The building includes a variety of outpatient treatment suites, including medical imaging (mammography, x-ray, CT, and MRI), laboratory testing, internal medicine, neurology, and physical therapy. One floor is dedicated to outpatient Endoscopy with 4 Procedure Rooms and one Major Procedure Room.

The site for the building is in Hamor Village, a local shopping plaza. The clean, white, exterior cladding of brick and metal panels serves as a bright background for rainbow-patterned, vertical steel louvers that wrap around the building. The louvers are positioned to reduce heat gain through the large windows that allow for views and daylight from the interior. A small green space was included for the dentistry staff’s pets, adding to the fun, unexpected design.

The client requested exciting patterns and vibrant colors to create a fun, comfortable and welcoming space for patients and staff. The 8,157 square foot, two story building has eight hygiene bays and eight operatory bays, each featuring a large window. The hygiene area is open, with colorful, suspended resinous panels defining semi-private treatment areas. Operatory bays are enclosed with solid walls, with storage and handwashing nooks facing the hallway. The floor plan is configured with a central, linear sterilization area accessed from both the hygiene and operatory bays. One, enclosed hygiene and operatory bay was designed to meet the needs of all patients. The dentist’s office is placed on a corner within the operatory suite, with interior glass to allow for observation. Other staff offices are located in the center of the plan, facilitating access and flow.

The second floor of the building is entirely dedicated to staff space, including a changing area with laundry facilities and shower, and a large, open break room with kitchen, dining and living zones.

The building is served by a geothermal, water source heat pump system. The hydronic system and heat pumps are tied to 9, 400-foot-deep geothermal wells. Heat is removed from the building and transferred into the wellfield in the summer and absorbed from the wellfield and put back into the building during the winter. The system is easy to maintain over time with no boilers, chillers, or cooling towers to maintain and replace.

WV State University acquired the F. Ray Power Building, which had been vacant for some time, and rehabilitated the structure as their new Agricultural Research Station.

The F. Ray Power Building was formerly a part of the WV Division of Rehabilitative Services Complex, which was vacant for many years prior to becoming part of the West Virginia State University campus. The 33,300 sf building was renovated into an Agricultural Research Station, including wet labs, offices, and multipurpose instructional spaces.

The project was completed over four phases. The first phase consisted of providing temporary electrical power, lighting, and general clean-up of existing interior spaces consisting primarily of offices and related support spaces. Phase two consisted of selective demolition of existing interior spaces. The work was a preparatory phase to facilitate building evaluation and eventual renovations. Hazardous materials abatement was also completed by the Owner at this point.

Phases three and four consisted of roof replacement, storefront window replacement, interior walls, doors, interior finishes, chemical fume hoods, walk-in refrigerator, commercial and laboratory grade casework. The Systems scope of new work included Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Fire Protection, and IT/Data infrastructure.

Marshall University chose to relocate its growing School of Pharmacy to its health science campus in Huntington, in addition to developing graduate housing. The creation of what is essentially a living learning community for medical students is a valuable recruiting and retention tool for the university.

The 50,000 square foot school of pharmacy program includes a variety of learning environments, including active learning classrooms, simulation learning labs, administrative offices, and research space. The classrooms were designed with moveable furniture, demountable walls and built-in technology for maximum flexibility. The research labs, previously siloed, are now co-located into one large space to encourage research partnerships. Quiet study pockets are located at various instances in the building. Some smaller learning spaces were designed to multi function as study rooms after school hours – maximizing efficiency while providing for all needs in the building. On all floors, the learning spaces and administrative spaces are organized along a primary causeway with writable surfaces and seating to maximize collaboration and engagement between faculty, students and staff.

In collaboration with Perkins + Will and Signet Real estate.

This 10,000 square foot suite in the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center is a build-out of remaining shell space dedicated to cancer research and clinical trials personnel.  Challenges included fitting traditional wet bench laboratory spaces within the non-rectilinear plan, adding central lab water, gas and HVAC infrastructure, and managing construction staging within a health care environment.  Due to an unusually high existing floor to ceiling space, we identified an opportunity for a mezzanine open work area that also takes advantage of daylight for Clinical Trials staff.  Our firm provided programming, lab planning, design and construction administration services.  The project was completed in 2011.

The project is the culmination of an 11-year phased construction process that began with the firm developing a master plan for the Forensic Science campus. Phase I was completed in 1999 and the program located in the renovated locker room building at the north end of Fairfield Stadium, Marshall’s former football stadium. Phase II was completed in 2004 with a two-story addition to the existing building providing computer forensics, digital evidence lab and administrative spaces. Phase III was completed in 2009 with a three-story addition providing a biotech business incubator, forensic science instruction and research laboratory spaces. We coordinated all aspects of the design including lab equipment.  A biotech business incubator and additional classroom space was built out in 2014.

“The MU Forensic Science Center’s phased design created a unified campus to reflect a cohesive theme, highlighting that state-of-the-art forensic science is being performed within these structures. It has be a pleasure working with Edward Tucker Architects. We hope to work together on future projects including a drug testing and research laboratory.”
— Dr. Terry Fenger, Director, Forensic Science Program, Marshall University