State-of-the-Art Facility for Integrative Medicine
Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine | Tucson, Arizona
The Center for Integrative Medicine (CIM) comprises 34,000 sq. ft. with a three-story office building, single-level multi-purpose building and meditation building linked by landscaped pathways. Clinical and educational spaces include a demonstration kitchen and movement studio, as well as office and support areas, all designed to help the CIM bridge the gap between conventional medicine and whole-person, healing-oriented medicine.
About the Project
The main building (MIND) features administrative and collaborative space within a uniquely radiused shape, with exterior shade-control fins along the perimeter, and an architectural monument stair in the main lobby. The multi-purpose building (BODY) hosts lectures, cooking demonstrations and yoga classes in addition to large community events, and the meditation building (SPIRIT) provides a quiet place for mindfulness.
Combined, these spaces provide both a welcoming and state-of-the-art environment for the study of integrative medicine for staff, students and guests. The Center for Integrative Medicine is now better equipped to host cutting-edge education and research, as well as hands-on clinical work and events with both healthcare professionals and community members, training on evidence-based practices to improve health outcomes.
Challenges and Solutions
Unique, Sustainable Design
Designed to achieve LEED silver, the facility features ample natural light, nontoxic materials, rainwater capture and sound-absorbing finishes. Achieving these features and the main building's curved shape, all with a highly industrial aesthetic—i.e., exposed steel and CMU block, concrete floors and exposed utilities—required a higher degree of quality control.
Navigating Existing Conditions
Several existing utilities were running under and adjacent to the building footprint, with some known and others unknown. DPR coordinated closely with UA blue stake service and used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to create updated as-builts, which prevented utility strikes and related impacts to the active campus surrounding the site.
Challenges and
Solutions
Unique, Sustainable Design
Designed to achieve LEED silver, the facility features ample natural light, nontoxic materials, rainwater capture and sound-absorbing finishes. Achieving these features and the main building's curved shape, all with a highly industrial aesthetic—i.e., exposed steel and CMU block, concrete floors and exposed utilities—required a higher degree of quality control.
Navigating Existing Conditions
Several existing utilities were running under and adjacent to the building footprint, with some known and others unknown. DPR coordinated closely with UA blue stake service and used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to create updated as-builts, which prevented utility strikes and related impacts to the active campus surrounding the site.
Awards and Honors
- 2026 American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) IDEAS Excellence in Architecture
- 2025 AIA Distinguished Architecture Award
- 2025 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention
- 2024 Structural Engineers Association of Arizona Structural Engineering Excellence Award
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