The existing College of Pharmacy building was constructed in 1972. It has had additions and renovations several times since. Ferris State University along with the design partners of Integrated Design Solutions, Ellenzwieg, and Rockford Construction evaluated the existing facility, assessed the needs of the College of Pharmacy, and created a master plan for a complete building renovation and addition.
First step of a master plan to renovate the Pharmacy Building at Ferris State University, this project converted the majority of the first floor into specialty labs and classrooms. Located directly off the lobby is a new patient interaction lab, allowing students to engage with patients at a series of built in workstations simulating the one-on-one engagement they will see in the field. This space also maintains access to an adjacent sterile lab and prep room and is set up with technology that allows it to double as a teaching lab. Across the hall from the patient interaction lab is the new active pharmacy. There are three consultation rooms where students can interact with patients in a setting that simulates exam rooms in doctor’s offices. These three rooms are also accessed from the adjacent new simulation lab suite. Four additional simulation rooms within this suite are designed simulate hospital rooms and flank an observation room with one-way mirror visibility into each. A new central storage facility accessed from the simulation suite allows the storage of various mannequins and furniture that allow faculty to change settings in each of the sim rooms from hospital rooms, to doctor’s offices, and even surgical rooms.
The College of Pharmacy is also converting all of their classrooms into active learning classrooms. As a part of this renovation, a new 150-person active learning classroom was created and outfitted with flexible furniture and technology to support the newer pedagogies promoted by the college.