Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building

St. Louis

BEST PROJECT, HIGHER EDUCATION/RESEARCH and Award of Merit, Safety

Submitted by: McCarthy Building Cos.

Owner: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Lead Design Firm, Structural Engineer, MEP Engineer: CannonDesign

General Contractor: McCarthy Building Cos.

Civil Engineer: Stock & Associates Consulting Engineers Inc.

WBE General Contractor: Tarlton Corp.

DBE Design-Build Contractor: KAI Enterprises


At more than 600,000 sq ft, the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building is one of the largest and most advanced neuroscience facilities in the U.S.

The 11-story building brings together over 100 research teams previously dispersed in 11 separate locations across the Washington University School of Medicine campus.

Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building

Photo by Laura Peters

The building is designed to facilitate greater interdisciplinary collaboration among medical school scientists.

Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building

Photo by Laura Peters

The research that the building makes possible aims to accelerate the development of new therapies, diagnostic tools and medications to treat Alzheimer’s disease, brain tumors, spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions.

Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building

Photo by Laura Peters

Over the course of construction, more than 3,800 individual contributors received approximately 8,900 hours of safety training.

Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building

Photo by Laura Peters

Every trade partner with a total manpower of 40 or more maintained a full-time, onsite safety professional. These individuals participated in quarterly OSHA partnership meetings, biweekly project safety manager meetings and daily jobsite walks.