DURHAM — The Duke University board of trustees on Friday gave the go-ahead to construct a $53 million educational building for the Duke School of Medicine.

"Medical education and the practice of medicine have changed dramatically since our current facilities were built," said Dr. Nancy Andrews, dean of the School of Medicine.

"In fact, this is the first new home for medical student education since classes started in the Davison Building in 1930," Andrews said.

The six-floor, 84,000-square-foot building will house teaching clinical labs and a ground-floor auditorium that seats up to 400. Flexible state-of-the-art classrooms with moveable walls and chairs will accommodate large- and small-group learning.

"This building is designed to facilitate team-based learning activities," Andrews said. "The practice of medicine is moving away from individual physicians acting as sole providers and toward interdisciplinary teams of health professionals who work together to manage patient care."

Because simulation activities let students master medical and surgical skills, an entire floor will be dedicated to simulation laboratories that can transform from mock clinical exam rooms to surgery suites to emergency rooms.

A student life center will offer students places to gather, dine and study.