Opening of TMC3 Collaborative Building marks launch of Helix Park, a 37-acre campus fostering innovation in health care and life science

Texas Medical Center (TMC), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M University Health Science Center (Texas A&M Health), and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) today celebrated the opening of the TMC³ Collaborative Building and the launch of Helix Park.

“Today, we lay the cornerstone of a new campus fully dedicated to streamlining the commercialization of life-changing innovations in medicine and technologies,” said William McKeon, president and CEO of TMC.

The 250,000-square-foot TMC³ Collaborative Building is located at the heart of Helix Park and incorporates research initiatives for the four founding institutions. Designed to foster collaboration between academic institutions and industry partners, the building includes purpose-built wet laboratories and office/co-working space to facilitate the seamless exchange of life science ideas and advancements. In addition, the building will host commercial life sciences companies including Portal Innovations, as well as the TMC Venture Fund.  

“We are incredibly excited to both welcome our founding institutions and industry partners to the Collaborative Building and to invite the community to experience the Helix Park campus and its beautiful parks with a series of special events in the months ahead,” McKeon said.

“The future of life sciences in Houston is brighter than ever before as we come together to officially open the TMC³ Collaborative Building,” said Peter WT Pisters, MD, president, MD Anderson. “Our clinicians and scientists work daily to advance innovations in cancer research and care—all of which will be amplified in this new environment within Helix Park that further cultivates collaboration, connectivity and creativity.”

“As we open this state-of-the-art facility, we’re opening the door to a new era of collaboration. This building signifies the dismantling of silos to deliver game-changing therapies for the toughest diseases impacting Texans and citizens worldwide,” said John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “Texas A&M Health’s Institute of Biosciences and Technology has long been a trailblazer in drug discovery, and now, in the heart of this resource-rich ecosystem of the Texas Medical Center, we’re taking it up a notch. By positioning our scientists near their peers and esteemed clinicians, we’re igniting a spark that will fuel innovation and forge dynamic research programs.”

“With a shared commitment to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities, we are bringing together academics and industry to accelerate discovery and medical breakthroughs,” said Giuseppe N. Colasurdo, MD, president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair at UTHealth Houston. “Through the Texas Therapeutics Institute—already a signature collaborative enterprise at UTHealth Houston—our world-renowned leaders in therapeutic antibody development will have the opportunity to work closely with other leading researchers in the Texas Medical Center, greatly enhancing our collective ability to translate discoveries and ideas into effective treatments.”

When complete, the 37-acre Helix Park campus will also include Dynamic One (a 700,000-square-foot industry research building), six future industry and institutional research buildings, a hotel, a residential tower, and a mixed-use building with retail. In addition, six linked green spaces form an 18.7-acre campus “spine” that is now complete and open to the public.

The State of Texas will benefit from an ongoing annual impact of over $5.4 billion once the Helix Park campus is fully built out and occupied. More than 23,000 permanent new Harris County jobs will drive that gain, representing virtually all industries, pay scales, tax levels, and educational backgrounds. In addition, 19,000 construction jobs will be created to help bring Helix Park to life.

The TMC³ Collaborative Building was designed by Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects, one of the nation’s premier life science architectural firms. The first-of-its-kind Helix Park green space designed by award-winning international landscape architect Mikyoung Kim. Spanning 300,000 square feet, it encompasses six public parks, each approximately 55,000 square feet, linked in a unique double helix configuration that weaves through the heart of the Helix Park campus, creating an iconic gathering space. In addition to engaging water features, the parks offer cafes, retail shops and other public spaces. Individual gardens will host outdoor receptions, concerts, graduations and events of all sizes.