“BNIM's design of the building demonstrates a very creative response to our specified needs, and the architects have been excellent at responding to the university's request for sustainable solutions while meeting the programming needs of the School of Nursing. They have done an admirable job in balancing the needs and desires of the multiple parties involved (the various university departments, the School of Nursing, OFPC and the construction managers).” - Nancy McNiel, PhD., Associate Dean of Management, UTHSC-Houston School of Nursing   “Our building, which first opened its doors in June 2006, continues to inspire its occupants – and it symbolizes one of the school's most important aims, which is to provide our students and faculty with a healing and caring learning environment.”   Nursing is not only scientific and knowledge-based; there is also caring and compassion – the healing component, so we wanted a building that feels like a nurturing environment the minute you enter it.   The building showcases a philosophy that if we're teaching about health, we're also operating in a healthy way.   We are a health science center, so we should educate our students in healthy buildings. Also, we believe that a healthy, environmentally friendly facility will be much more efficient to operate; we're looking forward to those advantages, too.   The facilities have helped us to recruit more senior research scholars. Now, we also have some very promising young nursing researchers whose careers will take off.   We believe we're now the most technologically advanced school of nursing in the country. And with an entire floor dedicated to nursing research, the school now has the kind of equipment and laboratories that will attract world-class researchers.” - Patricia Starck, Dean of the School of Nursing, UTHSC-Houston School of Nursing   “It was clear that the opportunity to create a successful integrated project team which would embrace our principles was more than a desire with BNIM; it was a shared vision for working on a high performance environmentally responsible facility. Sharing a commitment to The Natural Step's principles was key the process. The jointly shared belief that the built environment and health are hand in glove issues decidedly formed the team's collaboration. BNIM has excelled in their design responses which through simplicity are more than elegant resulting in a respectful sense of place and history. This will assist us in our quest to become the model Heath Science Center of the 21st Century. The collaboration between BNIM and UTHSC-H on the School of Nursing and Student Community Center (SONCC) project has been beneficial with a very high degree of transportability to other facility projects for our campus. Unlike many professional arrangements, there was no conflict of culture with BNIM. This is a tribute to the firm's leadership and reflection of a quality of personnel who have chosen to affiliate with the firm.   BNIM Architects' relationship with University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has been nothing short of sensational. BNIM has excelled in the design responses which will assist us in our quest to become the model Health Science Center of the 21st Century.” - Brian Yeoman, Associate VP, UTHSC-H   “BNIM Architects completed and was awarded the contract to design the Nursing and Student Community Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. This new kind of building, one based on fundamental principles that are inextricable from our mission and role as healers and good citizens, sets the standard for our future facilities and major renovations amounting to $800 million over the next six years. This lead effort had to be successful in changing our culture and creating 21st century awareness for the critical connection between our mission, the built environment and health.   “We could not have made a better choice as Bob Berkebile and his team blended nicely in our environment and quickly earned the respect of our students, faculty and staff. Their integration has made this project a truly stimulating and creative one, bringing all factions of our University together in a manner that has raised the bar in collaboration between all parties.   Throughout this project, BNIM Architects has underscored their timely interaction with a sensitivity for our mission and a desire to help us achieve an educational facility that teaches by example. Together we achieved a facility that approaches the teaching environment as laboratory for human accomplishment. The values that our organizations share have been infused into the project at every level, making it not only a model of integrated design, but also a model for a new way of teaching. In this, and other projects at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, BNIM's vision for sustainable and healthy design is helping us achieve new standards of performance and durability for our university and community.” - John Porretto, Founder and President, SBS Builders