Covance Clinical Research Unit

This stand-alone, purpose-built clinical research unit is a premier unit for conducting first-in-human clinical studies of investigational medications on behalf of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. RS&H provided architecture and structural engineering services, as well as healthcare and laboratory programming, planning, and design.

Located on the campus of Deaconess Hospital, the facility houses a comfortable residential environment. The volunteer areas are supported by a warming kitchen with dining areas, nurses’ station, and volunteer amenities that include an outdoor terrace, two large lounges, wireless Internet, and TV/VCR/DVD combos in each volunteer room.

The facility also features a USP 797-compliant pharmacy for sterile compounding, a large onsite CLIA laboratory for immediate turnaround of human lab samples, and a hospital-like audible emergency call system for patient safety. The administration areas are supported by offices, a data center, call center, screening areas, and conference rooms.

The plan maximizes the efficiency of the site, as well as the internal programmatic functions. The project utilizes multiple aspects of the existing material palette from the hospital campus to ensure a seamless synthesis of the old and the new as it establishes a new visual entry for the campus.