Emory University’s new Health Sciences Research Building II (HSRB II) is a new 350,000 SF, 8-story biomedical research building that is home to the Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHCS) and the School of Medicine (SOM) and will facilitate the discovery of new ways to improve human health.

Located directly next to the occupied Health Sciences Research Building I and active railroad tracks bordered by Emory University Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, and busy Haygood Drive, remained open throughout construction. In addition, our team has coordinated extensively with multiple stakeholders to ensure minimal disturbance to ongoing academic and healthcare activities.

JE Dunn and design partner HOK integrated the planning and design process with essential Health Sciences leadership to maximize the project and deliver open labs and workspaces that foster collaboration. The research will focus on imaging sciences, biomedical engineering, cardiovascular medicine, child health, cancer, adult cancer, inflammation, immunity and immunotherapeutic, emerging infections, and other interdisciplinary programs. This state-of-the-art facility has both wet and dry laboratories, an imaging facility, BSL 2 and 3 labs, Cyclotron, Hot Cell, MRI, PET/CT, faculty offices, collaborative spaces for researchers, support, and conferencing spaces as well as connections to the auditorium and café at HSRBI.

At the center of the building’s design is a six-story central atrium that includes sculpted pedestrian bridges, a multi-tiered cantilever stair, a prominent full-height facade supported by a concealed truss at the roof level, and a large skylight that fills the interior with natural light and a six-story interior green wall at the entrance, which is meant to encourage the use of an adjacent stairway and connect people with nature.