Lehman College in New York City has held a ceremonial ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the Nursing Education, Research and Practice Center (NERPC).
The $95 million, 52,000-square foot NERPC houses classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, faculty offices, and support spaces for both undergraduate and graduate programs of the Department of Nursing.
The new facility creates additional instruction and hands-on lab space to meet the growing need for healthcare workers. The Nursing Center will be the foundation for a rapid rise in enrollment to meet that need, especially for underserved communities in The Bronx and Westchester.
The new center offers a simulated clinical environment for training students, equipped with:
• Maternity, Pediatrics, ICU, and Medical Surgery Wards with 22 simulators
• Wet and Dry Research Labs
• 20-bed Nursing Skills Lab
• Computer Labs
• HyFlex Classrooms
• Activities of Daily Living Apartment
• Student Lounges and Social Spaces
The building is designed to meet New York City Climate Mobilization Act and Local Laws 92 and 94, which require components of buildings’ exterior envelopes and roofs to contribute to overall energy efficiency.
All windows have double insulated glazing. A solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation system has been installed on the reflective SBS membrane system roof. About 22% of the roof’s area is covered by PV panels that generate a total of 43.2 kW of power for the building.
New York State funded the project through the City University of New York (CUNY) Capital Improvement Program, with additional funding from the New York City Council and the Bronx Borough President’s Office.
The architect is Urbahn Architects, the project manager is the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, and the contractor is Citnalta Construction.
