How Wayne State is Preparing Labs for What’s Next
Wayne State University has broken ground on a $200 million, 160,000‑sf Health Sciences Research Building designed to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and accelerate discoveries addressing Detroit’s pressing health challenges. Image: Courtesy of HKS Inc.
Wayne State University recently broke ground on a transformative $200 million Health Sciences Research Building that promises to reshape the way science is conducted in Detroit. Rising on the site of a current parking lot at 545 E. Canfield Street, directly across from the School of Medicine, the 160,000-sf facility will bring together researchers from across health sciences disciplines with a singular goal: accelerating discoveries that address pressing health issues in Detroit and beyond.
The five-story building is intended to be both a physical and philosophical statement. Traditionally, university activities have been siloed, but this design deliberately integrates team science into the architecture. The space is meant to foster collaboration across all schools, bringing together internal teams as well as external partners such as Karmanos Cancer Institute and McLaren Health Care.
The new facility will “supercharge” research in four key areas: oncology, translational neuroscience, systems biology and immunology, and metabolism and infectious diseases. The goal of the project is to reduce the typical 10–15 year gap between discovery and real-world impact. The space is designed to foster collaboration among researchers and integrate the community, enabling discoveries to be developed and shared more quickly. The ground floor includes a community engagement area for direct interaction with Detroit residents, while the upper floors feature advanced wet labs and specialized support spaces, helping scientists stay connected to current community needs.
Designing for collaboration
HKS Inc. serves as project architect, with Osborn Engineering as engineer and The Christman Company as general contractor. According to the design team, collaboration was intentionally embedded into every layer of the program. The floor’s design encourages interaction among researchers. It functions as one large open lab, with amenity areas, a central stair, shared conference rooms, and two non-lab workstations, naturally placing researchers close to one another and fostering frequent encounters.
Camilla Moretti, partner and health practice leader with HKS Detroit, notes that the team deliberately placed the central stair and staff amenities within glass-wrapped spaces that provide views to the exterior gardens. “It was a very conscious decision of locating that vertical spine connecting all of the labs around the amenities so that we could create these purposeful collisions between the different practices, the different PIs, and the different groups—that made it very organic but purposeful,” she says.
The theme of “science on display” extends beyond the interior. Transparent lab façades will make the work visible to passersby, while a teaching garden outside the building will demonstrate sustainable water retention strategies. “Wayne State has been a dream of a partner to work with,” Moretti says. “Not only have they been open and embracing the future of life sciences, but really wanting to test and display sciences on many levels.”
Flexibility and future-proofing
The labs combine open bench areas with specialized support spaces and a modular, adaptable design, while careful zoning ensures safe placement of chemically intensive activities and fume hoods across multiple floors. Image: Courtesy of HKS Inc.
To remain competitive and attract top research talent, the facility is designed with flexibility at its core. “Our goal [is] to be very intentional about delivering a state-of-the-art facility that will essentially wow new scientists,” says Robert Davenport, associate vice president of facilities at Wayne State University. “We know there’s considerable competition in this space, but we believe this building and its design will absolutely attract new talent.”
The labs are designed to balance expansive open bench areas with generous specialized support spaces, providing ample capacity for complex research needs. A modular five-foot bench system allows for long-term adaptability, with overhead utilities keeping walls clear and partitions removable. By standardizing benches and carefully planning utility connections, the design anticipates future changes and supports flexible use over time.
Locating wet labs on upper floors can present challenges related to vibration, utilities, and hazardous materials. The design team managed these concerns through a clear zoning strategy, positioning more chemically intensive activities on lower floors and providing fire-rated compartments for fume hoods on the upper levels.
From an infrastructure standpoint, Moretti says, “We were very cautious and strategic about locating plumbed pieces in locations where it would allow for the open lab to be the most flexible and allow [the design team] the most flexibility moving forward.”
A pedestrian bridge will link the new building to Scott Hall of Basic Medical Sciences, allowing researchers to easily access the vivarium and other resources. “This new building is not necessarily exclusively connected to the School of Medicine,” Davenport emphasizes. “This is truly a health sciences research building that is open to the entire campus for all things health sciences.”
Funding, risks, and resilience
Wayne State’s new Health Sciences Research Building reflects the university’s commitment to tackling Detroit’s health disparities, uniting researchers, designers, and philanthropic partners to accelerate discoveries that directly benefit the community. Image: Courtesy of HKS Inc.
Financing for the project combines a $100 million appropriation from the state with up to $100 million in university-issued bonds. Additional philanthropic support is expected, with naming opportunities available for the bridge, engagement space, and other features.
University leaders are also attentive to broader funding pressures. “Wayne State’s been doing medical research since 1868 no matter what’s going on in the world, no matter what the politics are, and we will continue doing that,” says Matt Lockwood, associate vice president of communications at Wayne State University.
On the construction side, supply chain challenges were anticipated early. “Our construction manager, Christman, has developed procurement strategies designed to mitigate supply chain disruptions and other economic risks,” Davenport says. Critical MEP components with long lead times—such as electrical gear and transformers—are being purchased in advance. “Fortunately, our partners have great relationships with suppliers, and those relationships are important, and perhaps one of the reasons why we chose Christman,” he adds.
A model for urban health science
For Wayne State, the new Health Sciences Research Building represents more than just a construction project—it underscores the university’s commitment to addressing Detroit’s persistent health disparities. The city faces health outcomes that are significantly worse than those in other parts of the state and the country, making it a critical setting for research on chronic health challenges. This mission also resonates strongly with philanthropic partners, who play a vital role in supporting the vision of becoming a global model for tackling urban health issues. As construction begins, university leaders, designers, and researchers share a unified goal: to ensure that discoveries made in the lab translate quickly into meaningful benefits for the community.
