Durham, NC
Duke University Psychiatric Relocation Project
The Duke University School of Medicine tasked hX with consolidating 30 Department of Psychiatry research groups from 30 locations into one, ensuring no disruption to ongoing research.
Many teams were resistant to change, having been in their locations for a long time. We conducted intensive sessions to understand their research, team dynamics, and space needs, which informed a detailed analysis of how their current space worked and where improvements were needed.
Initially, the School of Medicine planned to recreate existing spaces in a new building by assigning each team its own suite, but this approach failed to inspire the teams to move.
hX proposed an innovative plan: separating office and research spaces. Two floors of interconnected office spaces allowed for interaction and flexibility, while shared research spaces accommodated various specialized needs. After multiple rounds of feedback, the plan moved into construction.
Teams phased in their moves, becoming fully operational just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The flexible design allowed them to adapt seamlessly to new challenges. The School achieved its goal of consolidation, and the collaborative space enables researchers to explore new types of research.
Many teams were resistant to change, having been in their locations for a long time. We conducted intensive sessions to understand their research, team dynamics, and space needs, which informed a detailed analysis of how their current space worked and where improvements were needed.
Initially, the School of Medicine planned to recreate existing spaces in a new building by assigning each team its own suite, but this approach failed to inspire the teams to move.
hX proposed an innovative plan: separating office and research spaces. Two floors of interconnected office spaces allowed for interaction and flexibility, while shared research spaces accommodated various specialized needs. After multiple rounds of feedback, the plan moved into construction.
Teams phased in their moves, becoming fully operational just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The flexible design allowed them to adapt seamlessly to new challenges. The School achieved its goal of consolidation, and the collaborative space enables researchers to explore new types of research.
Project Size: 64,000 SF (upfit)
Completion: 2022
Completion: 2022
