Project Profile
Brown University Medical Education Building
Structural Renovation

The new home of Brown’s prestigious Warren Alpert School of Medicine, this project is located at the heart of Brown’s new campus within the historic Jewelry District of Providence. The original building was a 134,000 gsf former manufacturing facility.

Odeh Engineers used a detailed Building Information Model at all phases of design to make the project a success. During concept design, renderings and animations of the BIM illustrated the approach to gain approval from the client. During construction documentation, an integrated model was critical to coordination of the new structural framing with the new architectural and MEP systems. Finally, the contractor used the model to perform detailed coordination during construction.
DESIGN Build team
Ellenzweig Architects 
Suffolk Construction

Location
Providence, Rhode Island

Cost
$55,000,000

Timing
Construction Completed August 2011
Design Highlights
  • Innovative full-story deep steel truss system allowed for removal of twelve concrete columns, while also improving lateral load resisting system of the building.
  • Removal of floors to create open atrium in new building “spine”.
  • Steel framed “grand stairway” structure constructed within central building atrium.
  • Carbon fiber fabric reinforcement used to reinforce existing slabs and columns in modified areas.
  • Structural BIM used extensively for early design decisions and visualizations.
  • See Youtube Video for construction visualization Here
Construction Type
  • Steel
  • Cast in Place Reinforced Concrete
Building Uses
  • Higher Education
  • Parking Garage
  • Health Care
Downloadable brochure available to Registered Users