Rockhurst Opens $23M Home for Nursing School on Troost Campus

Rockhurst University has renovated and updated the oldest building on its Troost Avenue campus at a cost of $23 million to become the new home of its nursing program.

Sedgwick Hall, a limestone edifice that opened in 1914 as the first building on the campus, reopened last week as the new home of the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The design by Helix Architecture + Design preserved the historic facade facing Troost. The interior facade facing the campus was clad with a contemporary glass wall and a mural honoring the Jesuit motto “ad majorem Dei gloriam,” or “for the greater glory of God.”

The Jesuit religious order of the Roman Catholic Church operates both the university and high school. In fact, Sedgwick Hall once housed the high school which is now located on State Line Road near 95th street.

The original 1914 facade of Sedgwick Hall facing Troost was preserved while the interior facing the campus was replaced with a contemporary glass facade.

Approximately 90 percent of the original structure was preserved through renovation instead of new construction, according to a press release. The project was built by J.E. Dunn.

Green design measures include use of recycled materials where possible, insulated windows to reduce energy use and an energy efficient heating and cooling system.

The project is forecast to exceed current energy code standards by an amount equivalent to 108 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year and exceed energy use intensity targets set out in the American Institute of Architects 2030 Challenge, according to the university.

The facility will house state of the art clinical simulation experience for nursing and other health sciences students, with both clinical and home-based simulation rooms. There also is a central control room where faculty can direct simulations discreetly.

The revitalized Sedgwick Hall was the centerpiece of Rockhurst’s $55 million “For the Greater” campaign.

The Saint Luke’s nursing program became part of Rockhurst University in July 2019. It has been previously located on Westport Road.