The 15-story Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas is the first facility of its kind in the United States. Within its nine floors of research labs lies a 40,000 SF vivarium for expedited simultaneous testing of potential therapies. It uses a multidisciplinary research approach, and is dedicated to understanding the unique issues of a child’s brain structure, development patterns and related diseases. It is a new model of excellence in the study of pediatric cognitive development, and houses some of the finest researchers in the world.

Due to our expertise in managing large, complex medical facilities within the confines of the Texas Medical Center, one of the world’s largest medical centers, Broaddus & Associates was selected to provide adjunct project management staff and specialized expertise to supplement the owner’s in-house project management staff. The biggest challenge of this 408,000 SF hospital has been the limited size of the site and the fact that it is restricted on all four sides. Coordination of the project with all of the neighbors along with multiple other entities was a major priority and expectation of the team.

Our primary responsibilities included coordination with the adjoining neighbors, as well as maintaining focus of the design and construction team to achieve the owner’s objectives. Through the use of sustainable practices like daylighting, use of recycled materials and recycling of construction waste materials, this project achieved a LEED Silver Certification, as well as a Silver Award from Building Design-Construction Magazine.