Holden Cancer Center opens at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics

The new Holden Cancer Center of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics recently held an open house attended by patients, staff and members of the public. The $12 million facility was designed by Heery International.

Totaling 64,000-sf of renovated space, the Holden Cancer Center is located on two floors in the Pomerantz Family Pavilion. It includes new clinic and infusion bay areas in a modern, patient-friendly environment, offering everything from chemotherapy to radiation and other treatments. The new cancer clinic provides a significant increase in patient space from the prior facility, which was located in an adjacent building. It features 37 exam rooms and two procedure rooms. The second-floor infusion suite grew from 28 chairs to 40, eight of which are in private rooms.

Many aspects of the center's design are aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing patient waiting times. In particular, the centralized and team-specific staff workrooms are intended to improve patient tracking, and a new pneumatic tube system, which will deliver samples to the lab in two minutes rather than the 13 minutes for current delivery, reduces wait times for lab results. There also is an on-site pharmacy. The clinic also includes a larger and more centralized space for research, bringing together a core group of cancer center staff who work on clinical trials. The cancer center conducts nearly 300 clinical trials at any given time. BD+C

Phoenix-based architecture firm Jones Studio will design the Water Education Center for Central Arizona Project (CAP)—a 336-mile aqueduct system that delivers Colorado River water to almost 6 million people, more than 80% of the state’s population. The Center will allow the public to explore CAP’s history, operations, and impact on Arizona.

MFPRO+ New Projects | Nov 21, 2023

An 'eco-obsessed' multifamily housing project takes advantage of downtown Austin’s small lots

In downtown Austin, Tex., architecture firm McKinney York says it built Capitol Quarters to be “eco-obsessed, not just eco-minded.” With airtight walls, better insulation, and super-efficient VRF (variable refrigerant flow) systems, Capitol Quarters uses 30% less energy than other living spaces in Austin, according to a statement from McKinney York.

Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay - California building electrification laws could prompt evictions

MFPRO+ News | Nov 21, 2023

California building electrification laws could prompt more evictions and rent increases

California laws requiring apartment owners to ditch appliances that use fossil fuels could prompt more evictions and rent increases in the state, according to a report from the nonprofit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy. The law could spur more evictions if landlords undertake major renovations to comply with the electrification rule.

Codes and Standards | Nov 21, 2023

Austin becomes largest U.S. city to waive minimum parking requirements

Austin, Texas recently became the largest city in the United States to stop requiring new developments to set a minimum amount of parking. The Austin City Council voted 8-2 earlier this month to eliminate parking requirements in an effort to fight climate change and spur more housing construction as Texas’s capitol grapples with a housing affordability crisis.

MFPRO+ News | Nov 21, 2023

Underused strip malls offer great potential for conversions to residential use

Replacing moribund strip malls with multifamily housing could make a notable dent in the housing shortage and revitalize under-used properties across the country, according to a report from housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners.

Giants 400 | Nov 16, 2023

Top 100 Science + Technology Facility Architecture Firms for 2023

Gensler, HDR, Page Southerland Page, Flad Architects, and DGA top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest science and technology (S+T) facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors revenue from all science and technology (S+T) buildings work, including laboratories, research buildings, technology/innovation buildings, pharmaceutical production facilities, and semiconductor production facilities.