Oct. 19, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Interstate Office Products.

Before hundreds of future nurses, dental hygienists, physician assistants and other health care professionals went to class inside the University of South Dakota’s new School of Health Sciences building, design professionals and the university went to work there.

“It’s a learning space for students, but it’s also connected with the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building, and it’s a place for our team to work, and it houses the Delta Dental Oral Health Center, which is open to the public, so there’s a mix of uses to consider and a lot of collaboration we want to encourage,” said Jordynne Mart, USD building engineer.

The 45,000-square-foot building supports the academic, research and service mission of eight of USD’s fastest growing majors in health professional disciplines, including dental hygiene, nursing, social work, addiction counseling and prevention, medical laboratory science, physician assistant studies, public health and health sciences.

The idea is to allow the students to work together in the sort of real-life environments they will encounter in modern hospitals and clinics.

USD began working with Interstate Office Products early in the building process – before construction beginning in 2021.

“We often work with Interstate Office Products on design, so I can share our vision and floor plans, and they can help with space planning and show us with 3D drawings how our furniture can lay out,” Mart said. “It’s really helpful, and then they can take the fabric we pick, colors we choose and show us how it will all look.”

Working with executive vice president of sales and design Kristi Christensen and interior designer Jenessa Neve, USD chose a mix of furnishings that had worked well for the university in the past and added new ones to reflect the uniqueness of this space.

“We began with a look book that showed a lot of the standards they usually use and just honed in on certain areas where they were looking to sprinkle in new things, so we made suggestions and used that to begin getting their feedback,” Neve said.

“They have some really nice standards they’ve developed over the years and good, quality products for the student spaces,” Christensen added. “But there were areas where they wanted to take a fresher approach, and then there are some areas that aren’t typical of a university setting.”

That’s where IOP’s broad expertise came into play. While IOP has worked with USD on a variety of projects for decades, including athletic facilities, the company drew on its vast experience in health care settings to furnish the new Delta Dental Oral Health Center and the building’s health care simulation rooms.

“I think it gave them comfort knowing we had familiarity with products for health care and that we know what also would be a great solution for them,” Christensen said. “The space now really reflects the quality of the program.”

In mock exam rooms, for instance, “we used the same equipment we would in a hospital, as well as in the clinic rooms,” Neve said. “So the students are seeing the same furnishing they will in a real health care setting.”

In the more traditional classrooms, IOP helped outfit equipment that supports learning, including movable tables with power access.

And in study areas throughout the building, there was an intentional focus on what students told the university they enjoy using.

“There are link spaces on two floors, and students really gravitate toward booth seating in these areas,” Christensen said. “It’s a private space for during the day to do a quick drop-in and work individually or as a group. There was no question we needed to do more of those because students love them, and it’s a priority. These lounge areas are very dynamic spaces.”

The team also designed some low-profile benches in one area near a bank of windows that are being used a lot, Mart said.

“We don’t install those very often, but students like that they can get out into open space, see daylight and have a break there,” she said. “All of these products hold up very well.”

For the staff, USD worked with IOP to create unique workstations that some transitioned to in lieu of individual offices.

“We gave those taller walls and more space, storage and shelves,” Mart said. “They came from private offices in many cases, so we wanted to make this area fancier with some floating shelves for decor and some nice fabrics. For being an open workstation, we definitely worked to make it a nice environment.”

In the work areas, height-adjustable desks “are standard for us now,” she added.

IOP also helped address design and furnishings for the dean’s suite in the adjacent Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building.

“Some of that was very dated,” Christensen said. “So we replaced all the existing furniture and did a height-adjustable desk and storage, plus meeting space and updated flooring and paint. That allowed existing furniture to be moved into additional offices created for staff because they had a large head count with the new building.”

All throughout the process, “IOP was very responsive,” Mart said. “There’s great customer service. If there’s an issue, they figure out how to fix it. And the installation is really impressive. They’re just respectful, they clean up, they’re really nice, so from the beginning design through the whole end and the installed product, we’re happy.”

The university’s philosophy appreciates investing in quality design and furnishings with its buildings, Christensen added.

“We’ve been working with USD for 20 years, and their mentality always has been to provide quality furniture for students. They believe when students see the university has invested in nice things, they take better care of them. That speaks to the quality of the furniture they’re purchasing too, but it also has proven true because students treat these pieces well, and they last even longer.”

Would you like to learn more about how IOP can help your workspace reflect the quality of your organization? Visit i-o-p.com, or call 605-339-0300.