Stanford School of Medicine marked a new era with the dedication of their Li Ka Shing Learning and Knowledge Center, designed by NBBJ. The building will help rethink medical education.
Li Ka Shing has long been revered for his philanthropy, contributing millions to schools, hospitals, and disaster relief. Additionally, in 1980, he established the Li Ka Shing Foundation.
The Building
The Li Ka Shing Learning and Knowledge Center transforms medical education at Stanford by encouraging collaboration in an immersive and robust facility. It features cutting-edge technologies – from one of the most extensive simulation facilities to an advanced video capture system for recording students’ and faculty work for later review.
This new facility was created to facilitate interaction and collaborative learning across disciplines, from medical students to experienced physicians. It offers immersive and interactive learning experiences such as virtual surgery suites and mock-up exam rooms – made possible thanks to a generous gift from Li Ka Shing of Hong Kong, who generously made its construction possible.
NBBJ created this building to commemorate the legacy of a late philanthropist. It combines traditional and innovative learning spaces, with its red roof standing out among others. PARKLEX PRODEMA panels featuring high-density bakelite bodies coated with Rubi finishes protect its shelter against sunlight, atmospheric agents, and dirt accumulation.
The building features classic-looking classrooms, large and small meeting areas, and a conference center. Every space features a video recording system to record activities within each room and transmit them throughout the facility. Shen Milsom & Wilke provided services related to acoustical engineering, audiovisual planning, information technology, medical equipment planning, and security design for this project.
The Campus
The Li Ka Shing Learning and Knowledge Center is the hub of Stanford’s academic campus, attracting students, doctors, scientists, and professionals worldwide. This 120,000-square-foot building serves as an incubator for advanced medicine and modern education. Hong Kong-born global philanthropist Li Ka Shing is its major benefactor who firmly believes that his charitable giving must have a positive societal impact; in his view, this new center will revolutionize medical training by offering more comprehensive doctor training than before.
The NBBJ-designed facility contains four floors of simulation and virtual reality equipment, classrooms, conference rooms, and study areas – providing a collaborative space that promotes active learning for people at all levels, from new students to veteran medical professionals.
Each floor of the LKSC is dedicated to different aspects of learning and research, such as its Hon Mai and Joseph Goodman Center for Simulation and Immersive Learning on the ground floor, which engages students in hospital simulations and actor-based standardized patient exercises, according to David Gaba, associate dean for immersive and simulation-based learning.
The second floor features a large conference room and cafe, while the third is primarily classrooms. Finally, on the fourth floor are facilities dedicated to graduate student use, such as lounge/gym/lobby/nap room/ample balcony space for graduate student use. PARKLEX PRODEMA panels offer high-density bakelite body construction combined with treated wood veneer for durability before being coated in an attractive Ruby finish to clad the entire five-story building in style.
The Conference Center
Hong Kong businessman Li Ka Shing strongly values philanthropy with social impact, having donated over HK$30 billion towards education, medical services, charity, and anti-poverty initiatives.
His most recent undertaking is the Li Ka Shing Learning and Knowledge Center. This building houses numerous laboratories, classrooms, and conference centers that attract top doctors, health practitioners, and biologists from all around the globe. Furthermore, this complex has an impressive conference hall capable of hosting significant events like seminars or conferences.
Stanford’s Conference Center stands out from other university buildings with features that distinguish it, including floor-to-ceiling windows and an eye-catching red roof that extends over Discovery Walk. It can be seen from miles away, making it one of the most recognizable structures on campus. Furthermore, this building contains multiple rooms suitable for various functions, with its largest room having a seating capacity of 500.
Conference rooms are accessible via a central atrium that connects them with offices and classrooms, featuring a glass wall that looks out onto a courtyard dotted with benches and trees – the ideal spot for relaxing after studying or attending seminars! Each conference room has amenities such as projectors, flat screens, audio/video conferencing systems, and high-speed internet to complete your experience.
The Faculty
Li Ka Shing Learning and Knowledge Center attracts top doctors, health practitioners, and biologists from around the globe. It provides them access to an extensive knowledge database to conduct experiments successfully; furthermore, it offers simulations of life-threatening situations for medical students to gain invaluable experience.
Stanford University School of Medicine’s facility was constructed to revolutionize medical education. A five-story building that incorporates cutting-edge technologies, its interior spaces are tailored for interaction and collaboration between all levels of students – from new medical students to experienced clinicians – from entry-level medical students to experienced clinicians. It received the Excellence in Landscape Architecture prize at the 2013 Society for College and University Planning Awards; its distinctive red roof is covered with PARKLEX PRODEMA panels made of high-density bakelite with treated wood veneer that can withstand solar radiation, atmospheric agents, and dirt.
Li Ka Shing, an international businessman and global philanthropist from Hong Kong, donated $25 million to St. Michael’s to establish the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s. This institute will focus on ethically generated knowledge that advances research, improves patient care, and influences policy globally. Li has long supported Stanford, believing philanthropy should affect society at large – and spoke at its dedication ceremony on September 29.
