EYP/BJAC Announces Ribbon Cutting At ECU School Of Dental Medicine Community Service Learning Center-Elizabeth City

RALEIGH, NC, June 16, 2013 (Press-News.org) EYP/BJAC (http://www.bjac.com), an expertise-based, integrated architecture firm specializing in academic, medical, research and government clients, has announced that the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine Community Service Learning Center in Elizabeth City, N.C., celebrated its opening with a ribbon cutting and open house on June 10.

North Carolina ranks 47th in the nation in dentists per capita and this service learning center is a clinical and teaching facility, designed to help prepare more dentists to serve North Carolina while also increasing access to dental care in the state's rural communities. The educational program combines distance learning technology and community partnerships for the completion of students' fourth and final year, while improving the communities they serve. Jennifer Amster, AIA, LEED BD+C, principal and senior project director, has led the ECU School of Dental Medicine projects for EYP/BJAC.

The project's unique model takes the investment and building structure that would traditionally result in a single floor in a campus facility and instead distributes it to 10 locations across the state, allowing students to learn in real world conditions while also benefiting underserved communities. The project expands ECU's innovative vision by including specialized, advanced technology and providing a fresh interpretation for the way academic facilities are designed, constructed and maintained.

With an understanding that a visit to one of the service learning clinics may be a patient's first trip to a dentist, EYP/BJAC designed these facilities with patient comfort in mind, as the design of the building can help alleviate some patient fears. In addition, EYP/BJAC utilized new technology to ensure the dental school students in these buildings have complete connectivity to the resources of the main campus in Greenville. These clinics are modern, efficient and use state-of-the-art technology designed to facilitate the education of the future oral health professionals of our state.

This is the second clinic to open. The first facility in Ahoskie, N.C., celebrated its grand opening in June 2012. Additional centers in Sylva, Lillington, Spruce Pine and Davidson County are currently in construction, with three additional centers to be constructed over the next two years.

QUOTES:
"Many people do not realize that North Carolina ranks 47th in the nation in terms of access to dentists, yet we are also one of the fastest growing states in terms of population," said Amster. "It is an honor to work with the ECU School of Dental Medicine to execute their vision of increasing access to dental medicine in the rural areas of our state while facilitating the education of future oral health professionals. These clinics will have a positive, lasting impact on North Carolina communities."

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DETAILS:
- In 2007, EYP/BJAC was selected by ECU for the design of a new dental school, a 112,500-square-foot facility that has included the development of service learning centers, including the one in Ahoskie. EYP/BJAC was responsible for the design process, and also provided assistance in site selection.

- In 2004, EYP/BJAC designed a $14 million renovation of the Flanagan Building on the ECU campus.

ABOUT EYP/BJAC:
EYP/BJAC is an expertise-based, integrated architecture firm that partners with academic, medical, research, and government clients to realize vital long and short-term objectives, offering specialized design, planning, sustainability consulting, and project delivery services. EYP/BJAC also specializes in energy consulting and implementation, and historic preservation. EYP/BJAC is a strategic partnership between BJAC and EYP. EYP, with twelve offices nationwide, is ranked among the largest A/E firms in the nation by Building Design & Construction Magazine, and is also recognized for sustainable design leadership by Architect Magazine, Engineering News-Record, and Architectural Record. BJAC, named among the top architecture firms in 2012 by Architect Magazine, was awarded Firm of the Year by the North Carolina Chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIANC) and with the 2011 Pinnacle Steady Growth and Profitability Master Award by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. For more information on EYP/BJAC, visit http://www.bjac.com.

Jennifer Fair
MMI Public Relations
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jennifer@mmipublicrelations.com
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