Sited along the southern edge of campus on a dense urban site, the Doyle School is a significant gateway building and a symbol of modern healing and care giving to the community. It is also an important element in the City of Huntington Beach's master plan for a revitalized Edinger Boulevard. The building is oriented to maximize daylight, natural ventilation and thermal performance. Open stairways covered with vines provide easy and visible movement vertically through the building. "Learning" gardens with specimens chosen specifically for their historic relationship to medicine and human health surround the building and are a part of the teaching curriculum.

Integration and synergy are key elements in our design of the learning environment. Classroom and skills labs including a patient simulation center, technology lab and multimedia skills lab are reinforced by hands-on experience in a working health clinic. Space for informal learning and social interaction outside the classroom fosters interaction between the health center (practicing nurses) and the health sciences (teachers preparing future nurses). The computer lab is co-located with the nursing student lounge and supports structured instruction and casual use by students.