Constructing a Medical School Unlike Any Other
Bentonville, Arkansas — When the design calls for a building that rises from the Ozark Forest, cantilevers into open air, and holds a rooftop park the size of two football fields, you know you’re not working on just any job.
The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) in Bentonville, Arkansas, is a landmark project in every sense. It’s redefining how doctors are trained. It’s setting new standards for health-focused architecture. And for Crossland, it represents one of the most complex, high-profile, and rewarding builds in our company history.
Nationally-Recognized
The project has already been featured in TIME Magazine, Architectural Record, and Designboom among many other outlets. AWSOM has earned attention not just for what it is, but for what it represents: a future where medicine, nature, and the arts are fully integrated.
The school welcomed its first class of 48 students in July 2025. Tuition is waived for the first five cohorts, ensuring that promising students, many from Arkansas and neighboring states, can focus on becoming physicians dedicated to underserved and rural communities.
The vision was bold. The execution had to be flawless. And that’s where Crossland came in.
Complexity on Every Level
From the outside, AWSOM is a visual marvel. Angular architecture. Sloped glazing. A glass curtain wall framed by nearly 8,000 square feet of perforated brass fins. And the most jaw-dropping feature? A two-story steel cantilever extending 87 feet from its base. This was an engineering and construction feat few have accomplished.
Inside, the 154,000 square-foot facility houses a simulation center, anatomy lab, wellness studio, café, student lounges, and public gallery spaces. Outside, more than 550 trees and 140,000 native plants surround outdoor classrooms, trails, healing gardens, meditation terraces, and a 215-foot water feature.
The two-acre rooftop park, the largest in the region, connects directly to the Crystal Bridges trail system, making the campus an open extension of the Ozark landscape.
Delivering the Impossible
“AWSOM is the most complicated and intricate project I’ve seen in my 33-year career. There was as much happening on the outside as there was inside, so we knew it would be a tremendous challenge. The pace was intense, but self-performing the earthwork, concrete, and steel erection let us set the tone early, get the structure up quickly, and focus on quality in the final product.” – Chris Schnurbusch, President of Crossland’s Southeast Region
That speed and precision only worked because the team was united. “It was the best team effort I’ve ever been a part of,” Schnurbusch added. “From designers and owners to AHJs and subcontractors, everyone worked toward the same goal with an incredible attitude.”
The build pushed every system and process. Constant coordination was essential. Using Building Information Modeling (BIM), Crossland was able to resolve clashes before they hit the field, ensuring that every inch, steel, concrete, and mechanical, fit seamlessly.
Steel That Set New Limits
The building’s backbone, the cantilever, was a structural and logistical challenge that pushed our steel crew to new limits. The trusses alone weighed over 26 tons and had to be assembled, lifted, and installed with inch-perfect precision. The truss system wasn’t just a structural necessity, it was a visual statement, demanding creativity and fearlessness.
“This job was something we hadn’t seen before. It challenged us, but it also brought out our best.” – Greg Hamersley, Steel Foreman Mentor
Planning began more than a year before steel went vertical.
“The sequencing, the cranes, the elevation adjustments, it was all about preparation.” – John Dye, Steel Superintendent
A Team that Built with Purpose
From excavation to steel to the finishing touches, this was never just another job. It was a legacy project for Crossland, for the community, and for the future of health and healing. And everyone on-site felt it.
“The project itself was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Over 2.5 years, we didn’t just build a project, we built a family. We leaned on each other through the tough days and celebrated the milestones big and small. Every person brought their best, not just for the job, but for the people standing next to them. That shared purpose is what made AWSOM an experience we’ll carry with us long after the work was done.” – Cori Miller, Crossland Project Manager.
From hanging steel high above the forest floor to perfecting the final details, the AWSOM project team brought grit, trust, and craftsmanship to every phase. Self-performing key scopes gave us the agility to stay on track when timing was tight. And when challenges came, no one pointed fingers, we worked side by side with the design team to find solutions.
An Impact That Will Last for Generations
More than just a medical school, AWSOM is a cultural, educational, and architectural catalyst. It brings together art and science. Health and humanity. Innovation and identity.
“To me, the AWSOM project is the culmination of a decade of our team’s hard work and client-focused approach. nd it wasn’t just one Crossland team. Every project manager and superintendent who’s partnered with this client over the years had a hand in building that trust. It came not only through our higher-profile projects like the Lane Hotel Historic Renovation, The Thaden Bike Barn and Fieldhouse, The Peloton Parking Deck and the WOKA Whitewater Park, but also through the one-offs and smaller jobs, like the 8th Street Market Climbing Boulder, Price Coffee Hangar, and countless concrete and carpentry tasks where only Crossland had the crews to step in and deliver. We became a true, trusted partner. If we said we’d do it, we did it—all of us together.” – Jason Miller, Arkansas Division Manager
For Crossland, the opportunity to build something this transformative doesn’t come around every day. We’re proud of what we delivered, grateful for the trust placed in us, and honored to have played a part in shaping a project that will serve generations to come.
