Missouri State Constructs New Health & Wellness Center

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – To meet the medical needs of the growing student population at Missouri State University, a new health and wellness center is now under construction on its Springfield campus. Designed by St. Louis-headquartered Hastings+Chivetta Architects, the $12 million project is scheduled for completion in winter 2017.

The existing health and wellness center was originally constructed in 1969 to accommodate a student body of 8,600, according to the Hastings+Chivetta Architects website. The student population has since grown to more than 20,000 students on campus. As such, the patient rooms at the existing facility are booked at more than 97 percent occupancy every day, making it difficult to keep up with student demands.

Hastings+Chivetta Architects conducted on-site design workshops that involved students, health center staff, administration and maintenance staff to determine that new construction was necessary, instead of simply renovating the existing facility.

The new 23,480-square-foot Taylor Health and Wellness Center will have double the space of the current facility. When completed, it will serve as the new home for clinical appointments, urgent care services, a treatment clinic, mental health services, a drive-through pharmacy and wellness programs. It will also feature enhanced comfort and privacy for patients as well as consultant space for clinics such as dermatology, gynecology, orthopedics, dietetics and psychiatry, to name a few. To promote the facilities and new services provided by the newly constructed center, the use of wellness promotional items might come into the picture.

Other highlights of the facility include the Student Counseling Center and a Women’s Health Center. The Taylor lab will provide illness testing for students, and the Travel Clinic will offer preventative medical care for students traveling internationally, according to the architect’s website.

While the facility will serve as a one-stop-shop center for health and wellness, its design also emphasize energy-efficient building practices. Those include natural daylighting, the use of sensors to reduce lighting use and water-use reduction. Indoor air quality will also be managed with special attention to ventilation opportunities and the use of low-emitting materials. The center’s design will incorporate an open feel with access to as much natural light as possible.