The University of California, Riverside's new Student Health and Counseling Center (SHCC) provides a holistic approach to wellness for students throughout the UC Riverside campus.
Designed by HGA and delivered through a design-build partnership with Turner Construction Company, SHCC provides healthcare offerings in an environment on par with major medical centers.
Within walking distance of the university’s residence halls, the 39,450-sf center provides services in a single location to create a seamless wellness experience. In addition to health services, SHCC offers counseling and psychological services, case management services, and a crisis-response team. The center also helps students with essential needs and provides for students with food insecurity issues.
Medical, mental health, and wellbeing services are integrated throughout the two-story structure. SHCC includes a primary care clinic, women’s health services, laboratory services, a pharmacy, counseling offices, and a conference center. The lab services are directly adjacent to the clinics, improving communication among clinicians and lab staff and ensuring patients can provide specimen collection during their appointments.
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_007.jpg)
SHCC has 25 exam rooms, more than double the number of exam rooms in the former health center. As a result of the increased space for medical services, students enjoy more appointment availability for more efficient treatment.
Biophilic design elements include large windows that offer views of the mountains and the outdoor wellness court, a custom wood art wall design in the main lobby reception area, and wood ceilings in the counseling center. Blue, yellow, and green pastel colors decorate the first and second floor lobbies.
The building’s multiple entrances provide enhanced accessibility for students, staff, and visitors, whether they’re driving or walking to the center. One entry allows for discreet ambulance access for students needing transport to a local hospital.
On the Building Team:
Architect: HGA
Landscape architect: MIG
Structural and civil engineers: KPFF
Acoustical engineer: Antonio Acoustics
General contractor: Turner Construction Company
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_001.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_002.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_003.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_004.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_006_v2.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_006.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_008.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_009.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_011.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_013_v2.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_014.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_016.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_021.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_025.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_026.jpg)
![UC Riverside’s Student Health and Counseling Center provides an environment on par with major medical centers Photo courtesy HGA](/sites/default/files/inline-images/3721-005-00_UCRiverside_SHCC_027.jpg)
Related Stories
Higher Education | Oct 24, 2022
Wellesley College science complex modernizes facility while preserving architectural heritage
A recently completed expansion and renovation of Wellesley College’s science complex yielded a modernized structure for 21st century STEM education while preserving important historical features.
BAS and Security | Oct 19, 2022
The biggest cybersecurity threats in commercial real estate, and how to mitigate them
Coleman Wolf, Senior Security Systems Consultant with global engineering firm ESD, outlines the top-three cybersecurity threats to commercial and institutional building owners and property managers, and offers advice on how to deter and defend against hackers.
University Buildings | Oct 18, 2022
A carbon-neutral-ready university campus opens in Hong Kong
In early September, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) officially opened its new, KPF-designed campus in Nansha, Guangzhou (GZ).
University Buildings | Oct 7, 2022
Auburn’s new culinary center provides real-world education
The six-story building integrates academic and revenue-generating elements.
| Sep 14, 2022
Indian tribe’s new educational campus supports culturally appropriate education
The Kenaitze Indian Tribe recently opened the Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus (Kenai River People’s Learning Place), a new education center in Kenai, Alaska.
University Buildings | Sep 9, 2022
Alan Schlossberg, AIA, LEED AP, joins DesignGroup’s Pittsburgh studio as Regional Practice Leader
Alan Schlossberg, AIA, LEED AP, has joined DesignGroup as a principal of the firm and regional practice leader.
| Sep 2, 2022
New UMass Medical School building enables expanded medical class sizes, research labs
A new nine-story, 350,000 sf biomedical research and education facility under construction at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, Mass., will accommodate larger class sizes and extensive lab space.
| Sep 1, 2022
The University of Iowa opens the new Stanley Museum of Art, a public museum for both discovering and teaching art
The University of Iowa recently completed its new Stanley Museum of Art, a public teaching museum designed by BNIM.
University Buildings | Aug 25, 2022
Higher education, striving for ‘normal’ again, puts student needs at the center of project planning
Sustainability and design flexibility are what higher education clients are seeking consistently, according to the dozen AEC Giants contacted for this article. “University campuses across North America are commissioning new construction projects designed to make existing buildings and energy systems more sustainable, and are building new flexible learning space that bridge the gap between remote and in-person learning,” say Patrick McCafferty, Arup’s Education Business Leader–Americas East region, and Matt Humphries, Education Business Leader in Canada region.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 90 University Contractors and Construction Management Firms for 2022
Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting, PCL Construction Enterprises, and DPR Construction lead the ranking of the nation's largest university sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.