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.