The University of Minnesota’s new Health Sciences Education Center is one of the most comprehensive interprofessional education facilities in the country, housing the six colleges and schools of the Academic Health Center. To support the university’s mission to provide interdisciplinary and team-based learning, IMEG incorporated intelligent building strategies and technology to elevate the design.

Highlights include:

• Lighting controls to save energy and promote a comfortable space, daylight sensors for local dimming, and control stations in rooms to adjust the lighting as desired with occupancy sensor for override
• BAS software capable of trending for the university’s needs and coordinated with control of the corridor lighting
• Meters on water to the building (including a storm water reclaim system), steam and steam condensate, and chilled water systems
• Electric metering on all plugloads in the building
• Building systems controlled based on outside air and interior conditions throughout
• Temperature and relative humidity controlled throughout, with CO2 levels controlled using displacement ventilation in larger rooms
• Integral USB on many outlets
• Wi-Fi capacity and electric power capable of supporting at least four devices per person

These intelligent design strategies are incorporated throughout building spaces, including the active learning classrooms; simulation center for outpatient, inpatient, and general clinic training; study spaces; makerspace; virtual and augmented reality lab; studios; and biomedical library for all health sciences schools at the university.