Teeth Put in Team

Attempting to accomplish all goals and meet the schedule required a team effort from the client, architect, engineers, consultants and construction manager.

The approach was collaborative, and all constituents were involved: faculty, administration, students, alumni, consultants, contractors and architects.

Interactive sessions and workshops were designed to identify the new way of teaching, help define the new curriculum, create the support program and set a design direction.

Tools were used in these sessions, such as multi-disciplinary role playing, visioning and puzzle play. These resulted in a set of design drivers that were in alignment with the new curriculum.

The atrium is the heart and gathering place and features two central admitting areas along with glass cases celebrating the history of dentistry. A public lounge offers building users a place to wait, relax and interact.

Building organization takes advantage of the site, allowing city views from shared waiting areas, conference rooms and support areas. These spaces increase opportunities for planned and accidental interaction.

A visible technology "play room" encourages faculty, staff and students to experience the latest in dental equipment.

Borrowing from a medical tradition, dental rounds rooms were created and allow many students to review a case together by using intraoral cameras.

Specialty dental clinics, such as pediatrics and orthodontics, compose a majority of the facility. Each clinic is organized into 12-chair practice operatory departments, and each POD is designed to resemble a functioning dental practice.

These, in turn, meet goals that include increasing functional efficiency and providing future dentists with real-world experience.

Breaking down the clinics into PODs helps to reduce patient anxiety. Natural light and windows are found along the perimeter of clinic spaces, providing stress relief and a positive distraction.

The exterior materials - a base of stone and brick - reflect to the Gothic character of the Marquette campus, and the metal crown looks to the future. Concrete supports the structure, and a curtain wall frames the entrance.

Curing Construction Disorders

Important hurdles were overcome during the construction of the facility.

Because of an aquifer on the site, a continuous flow of was encountered during the installation of the footings. Indeed, the flow rate was about 65 gallons of water a minute.

Draining the site was important because the foundations of a hospital that previously occupied the site were to be removed.

The general contractor drilled 40 shallow wells on the north and west perimeters, and pumping was done 24 hours a day without cessation for six months.

The mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems were substantial to supply the large number of medical spaces. Indeed, the quantity of lines is nearly comparable to that of a hospital.

Each floor has its own loop to accommodate the utilities and lines for medical systems, such as nitrous oxide.

The original estimate was two years would be necessary to build the structure, but it was done in 16 months. Scheduling was done carefully early in the project, and a little overtime late in the project ensured its completion.

The jury said, "The design changed mid-way through the construction, and the team still executed it on time. The facility is really state of the art. The final result is Marquette is now one of the nation's top-ranked dentistry schools."

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