UT Medical District Master Plan Receives SCUP Award

The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) Medical District Master Plan, which is a vision for a new medical district on the southern edge of the UT Austin campus, has received a Merit Award for Excellence in Planning for a District or Campus Component from the Society of Campus and University Planning (SCUP).

Page is very proud to be a member of the planning team led by Sasaki Associates. Page Principal Dan Kenney and Page Associate Principal Philip Perlin, formerly with Sasaki, served as Principal in Charge and Project Manager, respectively, of the project. Page provided programming, urban design consultation and architectural services. Alliance-Texas Engineering Company and Corneil Collaborative were sub-consultants to the planning team.

Located in downtown Austin, the Medical District is being developed as a partnership between UT Austin, Seton Healthcare and Central Texas Healthcare, and will be a compact and dynamic urban setting that nurtures innovation, collaboration, and community. Construction is already underway on the Dell Medical School, the first phase of which includes the Research, Medical Office Building and Education and Administration Buildings, for which Page is Architect of Record.

The plan for the district supports learning by locating academic, clinical and research functions within a dense, compact and connected campus that promotes the integration of healthcare professions and related disciplines. Program and density requirements of a 21st-century medical center are accommodated within a constrained urban setting.  A planned light-rail route mitigates traffic impacts and parking demand, while an existing urban arterial will be redesigned as a new front door to the district that accommodates vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles.

Five issues were critical to the success of the plan:

• Respecting the design heritage of the 19th century buildings on the historic Little Campus, including preserving historic live oaks.
• Meeting the aggressive design and construction schedule for the medical campus by confirming that all development sites could accommodate program elements.
• Providing a variety of open spaces and pedestrian circulation to ensure connectivity among academic, clinical, and research uses, while also engaging Waller Creek.
• Bringing together institutional partners in a series of work sessions at key milestones to facilitate consensus and decision-making.
• Implementing innovative sustainable design strategies, with specific opportunities around power generation, heating and cooling; parking; civil engineering; landscape design and environmental restoration; and health and human comfort.

The SCUP Excellence Awards will be presented at the annual SCUP International Conference being held July 11-15 in Chicago.