TMC3 Campus to Unite Science, Medicine and Tech Experts

HOUSTON—Scheduled to break ground next year, the TMC3 Campus near the Texas Medical Center has selected the development company for the project and the project’s founding institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Transwestern Development Co. will provide development services for the project, and will work alongside Elkus Manfredi Architects and Vaughn Construction.

“Transwestern Development Co. is honored to collaborate in the creation of the TMC3 Campus, which will be a transformational milestone for the entire life sciences industry, as it brings together leading experts in science, medicine and technology,” said Carleton Riser, president of Transwestern Development Co. “We look forward to contributing our experience to enhance Houston’s global reputation as a premier bioscience and technology destination.”

The 37-acre project represents a biomedical research hub that will cluster researchers and industry experts together, uniting the brightest minds in life sciences in one place for one purpose: to turn fundamental discoveries into human health advancements. The campus will combine leading researchers with expertise from the private sector and founding Institutions.

“Texas Medical Center─in conjunction with founding TMC3 member institutions Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M Health Science Center and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston─is excited to move forward in earnest with a dynamic new master plan for the forthcoming TMC3 life sciences research campus that is slated to break ground early next year,” Bill McKeon, Texas Medical CEO and president tells GlobeSt.com.  “The new design will emphasize connectivity and collaboration in even greater ways with a focus on extensive centralized green space. Under the collective leadership of a development team consisting of Elkus Manfredi Architects, Transwestern Development Co. and Vaughn Construction, TMC3 will become a local, regional and global lynchpin for untold medical research breakthroughs for generations to come.”

As development manager, Transwestern Development Co. will facilitate the planning, design and construction of the collaborative space within the project, as well as parking structures and overall master planning of the site. Transwestern will work with each of the founding Institutions to align objectives and provide a governing framework related to each individual building.

“It is rare to have an opportunity to work on something transformative to your home town with a focus on advancing global health,” said Sean Suffel, managing director at Transwestern Development Co. “TMC3 represents both, and we are humbled by and deeply excited about the development role we have been asked to play.”

The plan for the campus blends a mix of uses to engage the public. The TMC3 Campus will merge retail, residential, hotel, conference, entertainment and green spaces. The latter will be accomplished through a “DNA necklace” design that will form a greenspace promenade with a walkable and drivable urban street grid. The open spaces will serve different needs for a range of demographics, including a park-like setting, outdoor activities such as volleyball or basketball, and an amphitheater for concerts, films and other entertainment.

The central hub, called TMC3 Collaborative, will serve as the main communal building at the center of the TMC3 Campus. The ground-floor atrium will encourage collaboration and the gathering space will have a mix of food and beverage options. The upper floors of TMC3 Collaborative will house shared institutional research space and industry partner facilities.

TMC3 will broaden the connectivity throughout the Texas Medical Center, which serves more than 10 million patients a year. With 50 million square feet already developed, the TMC3 Campus will add 1.5 million square feet. That includes 125,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, and 125,000 square feet of shared research facilities.

The Texas Medical Center is the largest life sciences destination in the world. With 106,000 employees, 54 institutions, and thousands of volunteers and patient visits, more than 160,000 people visit the center each day. The campus welcomes more than 7.2 million annual visitors, GlobeSt.com learns.

Countless breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment occur at the campus’ eight different academic and research institutions, not to mention the 21 different hospitals.