Alberici Completes $165 million Vertical Expansion at Washington University School of Medicine

New 160,000 SF addition adds six stories to the Steven & Susan Lipstein BJC Institute of Health

St. Louis — Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has completed a six-floor vertical expansion on the Steven & Susan Lipstein BJC Institute of Health (BJCIH) building located in the center of the medical campus. The $165 million addition includes 160,000-square-feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space and was designed by St. Louis-based Lawrence Group architects.

The expansion houses a 7,400-square-foot Biologic Therapy Core Facility (BTCF), which follows Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations (enforced by the Food and Drug Administration) for manufacturing cellular therapies to treat cancer; 100,000 square feet of expanded laboratory space; and about 43,000 square feet of mechanical building-support areas.

With the bulk of the project completed in December 2024, the vertical expansion includes the addition of six stories to the BJCIH building’s existing north tower and a new elevator shaft at the northwest corner of the building.

Alberici and the design team at Lawrence Group collaborated closely with the owner’s critical facilities engineers to develop design criteria, testing requirements, and construction details for the project and to ensure compliance with industry standards in the design. The project team used its bank of healthcare expertise and creativity to design this unique solution for the university.