The Medical College of Virginia Campus (MCV) of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has experienced significant growth over the past decade. It encompasses some 1.4 million assignable square feet (and an additional 1.0 million asf of clinical space) in multiple buildings on a vertically oriented campus. Expansion resulted in the constant shuffling of offices and operations. This, in turn, required continuous retrofitting and remodeling of temporary space, resulting in physical and operational fragmentation across multiple facilities. Given these concerns, the MCV Campus sought to explore alternatives to grow beyond its currently landlocked environs.

Rickes Associates (RA) conducted a planning study that entailed a data collection effort and an associated series of meetings, followed by an analysis and the preparation of space recommendations. This study then informed a follow-on assessment to determine how the projected space needs will best be physically distributed across various facilities in an effort to reduce fragmentation and achieve consolidation where possible. (2006)