Mayo Clinic
150,000 SF
CMAR
Prime Architect in assoc. with CO Architects
2024
$135M
Project Director
Principal of Interior Design
Architect of Record
Project Manager
Construction Manager
Interior Designer
Nestled within the expansive Phoenix Campus, the Integrated Education and Research Building (IERB) stands as a landmark of innovation and collaboration, seamlessly integrating Mayo Clinic’s renowned “three shields” of patient care, research, and education. This 150,000-square-foot cutting-edge facility is a centerpiece of the $748 million “Arizona. Bold. Forward.” expansion, setting a new standard for the future of healthcare education and discovery.
Inside, the IERB offers a dynamic array of state-of-the-art spaces, including advanced medical simulation suites, immersive digital classrooms, and flexible research laboratories equipped to push the boundaries of biomedical and translational science. These features are crafted to foster a uniquely collaborative environment, allowing students, educators, and clinicians to work side-by-side, transforming ideas into actionable advancements in patient care.
The building’s design is equally groundbreaking. Anchored by three distinct elements – an education bar, laboratory bar, and a central connecting bridge – the structure frames a shaded outdoor courtyard, envisioned as a desert-inspired “oasis” for relaxation and connection. This thoughtfully conceived space merges aesthetic excellence with functionality, harmonizing with its surrounding environment while promoting sustainable design principles.
Beyond its technical function, the IERB is alive with purpose. It serves as an academic hub for the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, home to the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. It offers not just a place to learn but an invitation to innovate, collaborate, and reimagine healthcare. From inspiring shared spaces to next-generation training facilities, every detail of the IERB is designed to cultivate the forward-thinking minds who will shape the future of medicine.
Mayo Clinic Integrated Education and Research Building (IERB) is a 150,000 SF project in Phoenix, AZ designed by DFDG Architecture, in association with CO Architects. It serves as the academic hub for the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, including the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. The building was designed to bring together Mayo Clinic’s three core pillars, patient care, research, and education, in a single, purpose-built environment.
DFDG Architecture used project-specific planning strategies to support Mayo Clinic Integrated Education and Research Building’s operations, users, and long-term performance. Inside, the IERB features advanced medical simulation suites, immersive digital classrooms, and flexible research laboratories equipped for biomedical and translational science. The facility is designed so students, educators, and clinicians can work side by side, accelerating the path from research discovery to real-world patient care. Shared spaces throughout the building are designed to spark collaboration and innovation across disciplines.
The IERB is organized around three distinct structural elements — an education bar, a laboratory bar, and a central connecting bridge — that frame a shaded outdoor courtyard designed as a desert-inspired oasis. The building balances aesthetic ambition with sustainable principles, creating spaces that feel both purposeful and welcoming in Phoenix’s climate.
DFDG Architecture, in association with CO Architects designed Mayo Clinic Integrated Education and Research Building in Phoenix, AZ. The project was delivered using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method.
The building sets a new standard for what a medical education facility can be, one where the boundaries between learning, discovery, and clinical practice are intentionally blurred. Rather than keeping research and education in separate silos, the IERB creates a shared environment designed to generate collaboration and move innovations into practice more quickly.