The Department of Medicine recently transitioned researchers from several divisions into the newly renovated McGaw Pavilion. Formerly the Northwestern University Dental School, the Department of Medicine was allocated space on the entire second floor and part of the third. Overall, the Department now occupies about 45,000 gross square feet of research space in McGaw, accommodating twenty-five to thirty researchers and their support staff. The lead architects, Perkins and Will, utilized an open bay design, facilitating collaboration among the researchers. The flexible design also allows the ability to reconfigure the space to adapt to changing needs. Dr. Larry Jameson, Chairman of the Department of Medicine, feels the design “fosters interactions between divisions and among scientists at all levels.” With most investigators on the floor studying varying aspects of autoimmune diseases, opportunities for synergy are extensive. The second floor space contains thirty-one administrative offices, five open-lab research suites containing 103 15-foot benches, procedure alcoves, support facilities, special procedure rooms, an animal holding suite, and various conference rooms. Currently, it supports 21-25 primary investigators and roughly 200 staff members. The primary divisions occupying the space include Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Rheumatology, Allergy/Immunology, Immunotherapy for Autoimmune Diseases, and swing space for several Hematology-Oncology investigators. The third floor features an office suite for Rheumatology’s clinical research faculty, several meeting rooms, and the Daniel Hale Williams, MD 182-seat tiered auditorium. It is named in honor of the first African-American alumnus of the medical school (1883).  Many people contributed to the success of this move. Dr. Jameson feels the Department “owes an enormous debt to Eric Boberg and Bill Lowe in our research administration for ushering this process through sequential stages, and to Jeff Miller, the Senior Executive Associate Dean, for supporting the renovation process.” In addition, the division faculty and staff were extensively involved in the design of the space and logistics of the move, ensuring a smooth transition to the new facility.
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