The Center for Nursing and Health Sciences is the first modification to the original Forest Park Campus since the 1960s, replacing two classroom towers with a state-of-the-art learning facility.

DTLS completed a conceptual master plan to integrate the new construction into the existing campus, enhancing pedestrian and vehicular connectivity.  This master plan identified the placement of the Center for Nursing and Health Sciences and reconfigured the arrival experience with a new campus entry.  The new north-south drive from Oakland Avenue has become the primary entry to the campus and defines a new identity for students and visitors.  The entry is directly adjacent to the new building and serves as a multi-purpose auto court and pedestrian plaza.  It offers flexible seating and a patient drop-off area while acting as an event space or an area for staging mock automotive emergencies for student lessons.

Awarded LEED Silver certification for sustainable practices, approximately 98% of the stormwater from the project site is treated in the three bioretention areas, where pollutants are removed and groundwater is recharged.  Plant species native to the Saint Louis region populate over 17,000 sq ft of planting areas, including ornamental beds and bioretention.  Native species support biodiversity while their design arrangement reduces maintenance and reliance on irrigation.