A new state-of-the-art biomedical research building at the UMass Chan Medical School will support the development of therapeutics for some of the world’s most challenging diseases in a high-performance, aggressively sustainable environment. The nine-story New Education and Research Building was programmed and designed by ZGF in association with ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge.

The new building responds to demands in the commonwealth and across the nation for more health professionals and life science researchers and will help attract top scientists and students to Worcester. Space is planned for a projected 77 principal investigators, and the building will house the Horae Gene Therapy Center, the Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, the Program in Molecular Medicine, and the new Program in Human Genetics & Evolutionary Biology.

Designed to meet ambitious sustainability goals, including Net Zero Energy Ready and LEED Gold certification, the building’s architecture integrates high-performance systems, including a double-skin façade and geothermal heat pumps. On the interior, a focus on natural daylighting and transparency, active circulation, and generous social and interaction spaces will establish a productive and healthy environment for discovery and innovation.