Approach
In response to significant health and wellness needs in Central Ohio and throughout the State, Midwest and Nationally, the OSU College of Nursing has significantly grown both the capacity and the diversity of its nursing education programming over the past six years, and has positioned Ohio State as a leader in the field. With the College outgrowing its home in Newton Hall, built in 1967 and mostly unchanged since then, expansion and renovation needs became a pressing concern and priority for both the College and University.
To deliver this unique and important expansion project, MA Design partnered as AOR with internationally celebrated design architect ikon.5, leveraging strengths from both firms to support the mission and vision of the College of Nursing. Situated prominently on a gateway corner to both main campus and the Wexner Medical Center, the addition to Newton Hall—called the Jane E. Heminger Hall—sets the tone for visitors arriving to campus from the South, inspiring students and faculty through its innovative architecture and healthy, inspiring interior and exterior environments.
Positing a highly transparent corner addition that both engages the street and leverages the exceptional visibility of this gateway site, the building extends the College’s mission of advancing wellness and includes:
- Highly activated student commons atrium space supporting a healthy organizational culture
- Collaborative meeting and conference spaces to include advanced audio-visual systems
- Integrated circulation paths intended to inspire and facilitate integrated work-day activity
- Nutrition education teaching and outreach facilities
- Flexible office clusters supporting collaborative research, teaching and clinical practice Centers of Excellence
- Classroom spaces designed to support contemporary teaching pedagogy
- Accessible and prominent student success guidance and support spaces
- Innovative clinical spaces housing the College’s Institute for Optimal Health and Wellness
This project is LEED Silver certified under LEED v4 and was awarded WELL Gold Building Certification as of May 2025, leveraging the building design itself to advance the College’s mission to lead the way towards enhancing student health and well-being, campus-wide.
AWARDS
Heminger Hall was awarded the Interior Design Merit Award in the Learn Category for 2023 from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Columbus.
This project is LEED Silver certified under LEED v4 and WELL Gold Certified, leveraging the building design itself to advance the College’s mission to lead the way towards enhancing student health and well-being, campus-wide. The building is the first WELL certified building at The Ohio State University.
