Construction on the Volker Hall sixth floor renovation is completed, and teams across medical education will be moving into the updated space over the next two weeks.
The first of three significant updates to the building, the sixth floor was transformed into administrative and small group space to be used by faculty, students and staff. It includes 20 offices, 20 work-stations, three small group rooms, three communal work/study spaces, six individual restrooms, a conference room and a lactation room.
Final details and furniture installation are being completed this week. Faculty from the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology in Volker will move to the new space on Thursday, March 17; teams from Undergraduate Medical Education and the Chair’s Office will move on Tuesday, March 22.
“Moving into the renovated sixth floor space is the first big milestone for the larger renovations for Volker Hall and moves us a step closer to having the new active learning space for our medical students,” said Toni Leeth, MPH, associate dean for Administration & Strategic Planning and executive administrator for the Department of Medical Education.
The planned active learning center, made possible by a philanthropic gift from the Heersink Family Foundation, features a “flipped classroom,” where students collaborate in small groups, using digital teaching tools, while the instructor moves between them.
With the support from the Heersink family, the new atrium will create a new exterior for Volker Hall directly off University Boulevard. Plans for the atrium feature natural light, green space and small group seating to create a welcoming and collaborative space.
Construction on both the second floor and the atrium are expected to begin this summer. Leaders will present an updated bid and budget for approval by the UA System Board of Trustees at its meeting in June.
The full scope of the construction is expected to be complete in early spring 2023.