Aimed at becoming “a social and academic anchor” of the CUMC campus, the new 14-story high facility will integrate the mixed curriculum and put an emphasis on team-based learning. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the “Study Cascade” is a network of social and study spaces distributed across oversized landings along an intricate 14-story stair.

The Study Cascade creates a single interconnected space the height of the building, stretching from the ground floor lobby to the top, and conducive to collaborative, team-based learning and teaching. The “Study Cascade” interiors are complemented by a distributed network of south-facing outdoor “rooms” and terraces that are clad with cement panels and wood. The “Study Cascade” is also an urban gesture that, with its transparent façade, aims to become a visual landmark at the northern limit of Columbia University’s medical campus. It features technology-enabled classrooms; a state-of-the-art medical simulation center that will replicate clinics, operating rooms and other real world medical environments; innovative learning facilities for both collaboration and quiet study; an auditorium and event areas with integrated technology; centralized student support services; student lounges and cafés; and multiple purpose outdoor spaces, including a  terrace with views of the Hudson River.