Showcase 6 - Gresham, Smith and Partners

Gresham, Smith and Partners provides design and consulting solutions for the built environment that contribute to the success of national and international clients. For more than 45 years, GS&P has focused on enhancing quality of life and sustainability within our communities. GS&P consists of industry-leading professionals practicing architecture and engineering design as well as scientists and highly specialized strategic and management consultants in Aviation, Corporate and Urban Design, Environmental Services, Federal, Healthcare, Industrial, Land Planning, Transportation and Water Resources. GS&P consistently ranks among the top architecture and engineering firms in the world.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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28th-31st Avenue Connector Bridging the Gap

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Asurion – Atlanta Development Center Fresh Thinking, Collaboration and Engagement

26 38 48

BayCare Health System’s Headquarters The Art of Consolidation Bowling Green Municipal Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion and Renovation A Clear Solution City of Dallas – Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Management Implementation Plan More Than Just a Plan

54 60 66 74 86 96

Clayton County Traffic Signal Timing and Optimization It’s All About Timing Custer Avenue CSO Relief Intercept, Detain and Release Egyptian American Medical Center A Healing Oasis groninger USA Headquarters and Manufacturing/Distribution Facility Sleek, Clean and Inspired

Kaiser Permanente: Small Hospital, Big Idea Design Competition The Small Hospital of the Future

Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Atlanta’s Front Door to the World

114 126 140 154 168 178 188 196 204 212

Methodist Olive Branch Hospital Reaching Out Miami Valley Hospital South Bed Tower Expansion Meeting the Needs of Today & Tomorrow Phoebe Sumter Medical Center From Devastation to Hope St. Bernard Parish Hospital After the Storm Saint Joseph Mount Sterling Hospital From Concept to Reality Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center Shared Facility A New Standard for International Healthcare Southwest Greenways Master Plan Happy Trails State Route 324/Gravel Springs Road Over Interstate 85 Expanding Safe Horizons State of Tennessee: Transforming Tennessee for Tomorrow (T3) Transforming Tennessee for Tomorrow

University of Florida Health Jacksonville Outpatient Medical Complex of Today, Inpatient Hospital of Tomorrow

USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Renovation is the Best Medicine

224 234

Vanderbilt University Rand Hall All Roads Lead to Rand Hall

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ue Aven th –31 28

Connector

g i n d i g r b the st

gap

For several decades, Interstate 40 and a CSX railroad line separated the North Nashville and West End communities, limiting social and economic interaction between the two. Nashville leaders and community members had long called for an overpass that would reconnect the two areas and bring new vitality to these economically depressed neighborhoods. In 2009, when Mayor Karl Dean renewed Nashville’s commitment to sustainable transportation and decided to build the connector, Metro Nashville Public Works selected GS&P as the primary designer and engineer for the highly anticipated project.

Client

Metro Nashville Public Works

Location

Nashville, Tennessee

Market

Transportation

Services

Bridge Design Civil Engineering Lighting Design Roadway Design Schematic Design Surveying Sustainability Traffic Modeling Transportation Planning

Team PIC Michael A. Flatt, P.E. PM Diane Regensburg, P.E. PP Jonathan Haycraft, P.E., CPESC PP Ted A. Kniazewycz, P.E.

Nitaya Chayangkura, P.E. Thomas J. Carr David L. Fergus Cynthia Frear Thang V. Pham Dowell Hoskins Squier, P.E. Wes Stanton C.J. Tong, EI 10

Mark H. Washing, P.E.

SHOWCASE SIX

Gary Young

Awards

2013 Honor Award - Transportation ACEC of Tennessee

GS&P had been involved in planning scenarios for connecting 28th and 31st Avenues for over a decade,” says Michael Flatt, GS&P transportation division vice president and principalin-charge on the project. “When the project finally got the green light and Metro Nashville brought us on board, we immediately began to determine key goals and objectives.”

Initial discussions with the client and Nashville leaders addressed the need for a connector that not only incorporated sustainable design principles, but also accommodated multiple user groups with dedicated pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle lanes. To determine the needs of each group, a detailed study was conducted within the site limits of the planned connector. The project’s functional design requirements were ultimately established based on traffic analyses conducted during the study.

Impacts to the existing intersections at 28th Avenue/Charlotte Avenue and 31st Avenue/Park Plaza were also analyzed, and lane configurations and future access requirements were recommended.

“Because of the economic and sociological significance of the connector, we wanted to design something more than the traditional roadrailroad overpass,” says Flatt. “We could have easily connected 28th and 31st Avenues via a standard black asphalt road with a concrete bridge deck. We could have developed a typical closed-drainage system to carry away the runoff. Instead, the team elected to create a signature street for Nashville that was like no other.”

The connector incorporates Complete Streets principles not only by accommodating multiple user groups with dedicated pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle lanes, but also through sustainable features like bioswales and rain gardens.

Accommodating the new connector within the existing development would prove to be one of the most challenging design aspects of the multifaceted project. The site required that the connector be threaded horizontally between the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) campus, and vertically between a CSX railroad line and overhead transmission lines. The project would also require extensive coordination with property owners along the corridor such as HCA, and multiple public agencies, including Metro Public Works, Metro Water Services, Metro Arts Commission, the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Metro Parks and Recreation.

“The connection itself was not the only challenge,” explains Flatt.

“One challenging aspect of the project was working with such a large number of stakeholders. Our client, Metro Public Works, charged our team to engage with every stakeholder, listen to their concerns and provide solutions that would enhance the function of the design. And each group justifiably had a different priority.

For Metro Transit it was about serving their patrons. For Metro Parks it was about people being able to walk or ride their bikes across the bridge and connect to Centennial Park. For the existing businesses it was about keeping their business fully functioning during construction.”

To address HCA’s needs, the GS&P team designed an extra entrance for the campus and reconfigured the parking lot design to

accommodate high parking turnover. Designers also worked with HCA’s requirement that a pedestrian pathway be maintained throughout construction between its parking garage and Charlotte Avenue.

“The variety of perspectives ultimately enhanced the design,” says Flatt. “But we had to carefully balance those perspectives, blend them together, and then do what was best for the community.”

Throughout the project, the GS&P team worked closely with all stakeholders to ensure that project goals were met. Stakeholder meetings were held once a month in addition to several meetings each month among the client, design team and consultants.

Bright green graphics and rose-colored concrete were used to help cyclists and motorists differentiate between paths, keeping cyclists safe.

Proposed Stormwater Detention

11’ wide traffic calming lanes

8’ Fence and Connector-themed Art installation

HCA DATA CENTER

Bioswale

MTA Bus Stop

Bike Lane

Rain Garden with native, droughtresistant plants

New Signal Connectorthemed MTA Bus Stops

New Signal

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CS

HCA PARKING Garage Access under bridge

e Av en

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za

Pla

st

Park

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AD RO

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HCA Campus

CENTENNIAL PARK

“The bridge connecting 28th Avenue and North Nashville to 31st Avenue and West Nashville is more than just an infrastructure —it’s a symbol of bringing our community together.”

—Mayor Karl Dean

Complete Street – Sustainable Design

Magnolia-themed MTA Bus Stops

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Charlotte

Existing signal

ue Aven Construction and design solutions were implemented to accommodate surrounding businesses and public agencies. Metro Transit is able to serve patrons through six new bus stops. Metro Parks’ patrons can walk or ride bikes across the bridge into Centennial Park. HCA received a new entrance and extra parking.

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The 28th–31st Avenue Connector represents one of the first applications of Complete Streets planning and design in the Nashville metropolitan area, bringing one of transportation’s fastest-growing trends to the city.

“It’s a part of our global expertise to be multimodal in our approach,” says Flatt. “We had previously written Complete Streets manuals both for Louisville and Knoxville, and determined that its concept of accommodating all user groups—pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit users—was a natural fit for Nashville’s new connector.”

In an innovative application of Complete Streets theory, the GS&P design team used bright green graphics and rose-colored concrete to differentiate designated bike paths, helping drivers and cyclists stay safely within their respective lanes. In an inventive use of technology, designers embedded LED delineator lights between the bicycle and pedestrian pathways to provide safe lighting while minimizing environmental impacts. Each of these unique applications contributed to the larger project goal of building the connector as a model for the future of Nashville street design.

“Not only is the connector one of Nashville’s first Complete Streets, it’s also one of the greenest streets in the city,” says Flatt. “And that’s largely because of the focus on limiting stormwater runoff and pollution.”

In keeping with Complete Streets and sustainable design principles, the design team slightly narrowed the connector’s lane widths from 12 to 11 feet to help calm traffic and reduce impervious asphalt surfaces.

CSX’s requirement for an eight-foot safety fence created the opportunity for a more imaginative solution. Artist David Dahlquist designed artwork for the fences and three bus shelters themed around weaving and quilting as a metaphor for reconnecting a community. Magnolia-themed bus stops were designed by artist Kevin Berry.

Curb cuts were designed to direct stormwater to rain gardens and bioswales, which filter runoff through plantings and engineered soil layers, minimizing the amount of street pollution entering tributary systems.

Concrete dams were spaced every 30 feet to slow stormwater flow and allow pooled water to soak into the filtration systems.

Less costly in the long run than non-native varieties, naturally drought-resistant plant species were used throughout the rain gardens and other landscaping on the corridor. Striving for low-impact construction, the design reused an existing building foundation as part of the new roadbed, averting the emissions and waste that would have been generated by demolishing and disposing of the foundation.

A Unique Canvas Centering on themes of connectivity, artwork for the connector bridge was designed by Iowa-based artist David Dahlquist. Themed around weaving and quilting, the distinctive design serves as a meaningful metaphor for reconnecting these communities.

“The railroad required that a safety fence at least eight feet in height be attached to the bridge over the railroad tracks,” says Flatt. “The specs called for a traditional chain-link type fence. We took that spec and said, ‘Hey, here’s a place where we can do something creative to dress up the area.’ So we intentionally designed the fence to look nothing like your typical chain-link barrier, and made it sturdy enough to include artwork.

“The connector is an excellent example of how good design can truly transform a community. It’s also a lesson in how you don’t always have to do every­thing just like you did it before.”

—Michael Flatt

Designed for Growth the city is trying to accomplish in that area. For instance, the new Lentz Public Health Center is in that redeveloped location between Charlotte and the railroad. The new connector gives people a safe and convenient way to get from there to the West End area by car, bus, bicycle or foot.”

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A pivotal centerpoint between North and Southwest Nashville, the 0.3mile connector signals a new era of community interaction. Completed for $6.3 million—well below the $7.4 million estimate—and ahead of schedule, the long-awaited project far exceeded the client’s initial goals and design expectations, and gave the public the socioeconomic connector it so desperately needed.

“The bridge connecting 28th Avenue and North Nashville to 31st Avenue and West Nashville is more than just an infrastructure—it’s a symbol of bringing our community together,” declared Nashville Mayor Karl Dean at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The bridge reconnects two vital parts of Nashville, which will accelerate economic activity around that area. With this project, we have set a new standard for how to design and construct a signature street in our city. It has turned out to be one of the most attractive thoroughfares in all of Nashville.”▪

2 8 th – 3 1 st A v e n ue C o n n ect o r

“The Metro Arts Commission was then able to solicit proposals from artists nationwide, offering the fence as a blank canvas for their work. The artists were asked to think about the history of the area and the role that ‘connection’ played in bringing the neighborhoods together. When you’re driving down that roadway, the fencing doesn’t even resemble a standard enclosure that’s designed to keep people from throwing things onto the tracks. It looks like a thoughtprovoking piece of artwork.”

Transit shelters located near the 31st Avenue bridge approach also feature Dahlquist’s connectivity theme using giant needles to form a gateway to the connector. Magnoliathemed shelters located at the 28th Avenue and Charlotte intersection were designed by Phoenix-based artist Kevin Berry.

Along with its environmental focus, the innovative connector aims to promote positive social and economic change within surrounding communities. The overpass greatly improves traffic flow between the North Nashville and West End communities, and provides universal connectivity to area resources, including the interstate system, six universities, several hospitals, two major parks and numerous local businesses.

The design team also equipped the corridor both for current and future development demand. An intersection at the north end of the corridor offers room for future growth and is designed to accommodate significant traffic with left-turn lanes on both sides of the intersection. A large, regional healthcare and education hub, fittingly named “oneC1TY,” is set for development at this location.

“The connector is an excellent example of how good design can truly transform a community,” says Flatt. “It’s also a lesson in how you don’t always have to do everything just like you did it before. We didn’t just construct a large, grey bridge in the middle of a landscape that would have taken away from the beauty of Centennial Park. We designed a visually appealing, eco-friendly connector that links two previously detached communities, and enhances what

Fresh Thinking, Collaboration and Asurion – Atlanta Development Center

Client

Asurion

Location

Atlanta, Georgia

Market

Corporate + Urban Design

Services

Architecture Interior Design

team PIC, PD Jack E. Weber, IIDA, MCR, LEED AP PM Kelly Knight Hodges, NCIDQ, LEED AP PP, PD Amy Klinefelter, LEED AP

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ased in Nashville, Tennessee, Asurion is the leading global provider of services to the wireless industry. Partnered with carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile, the renowned technology company offers tech support and mobile device protection to more than 150 million customers worldwide.

Struggling with attracting and retaining a top-tier IT workforce in the Nashville market, Asurion set its sights on establishing a software development center in Atlanta’s Buckhead area, a considerably healthier market for IT talent. Having previously partnered with the technology leader on the design of its Nashville headquarters, GS&P was tasked by Asurion to provide design services for its new Atlanta Development Center (ADC). The ADC would serve as a home base for developing Asurion’s next-generation software, and house highly sought-after technical personnel, such as programmers, developers, product managers and testers.

“We worked closely with Asurion’s facility and project management team to develop a unique

environment that would appeal to their target staff and support the company’s attraction and retention efforts,” says Jack Weber, GS&P senior interior designer and principalin-charge on the project. “That was one of Asurion’s biggest goals because top-tier IT programmers and developers are extremely hard to come by.

You have to do everything within your power to make sure you’re not

Upon entering Asurion’s new Atlanta Development Center, employees and guests are immediately greeted with a warm, bold graphic wall, modern furniture and eye-catching flooring. The design represents the forward-thinking, creative work taking place inside the center’s doors.

only giving them the right tools, but you’re also creating the right setting for them to work in. Our part was to give them the optimum environment and make it better than anything else out there.”

Asurion’s search for a unique space in which to house its new software development center led them to a circa 1980s corporate office park. Saddled within a bridge

connector between two buildings, a 15,000-square-foot space was ultimately selected because of its capability to expand in four separate directions.

“The space was in an older building that had been through quite a few different build-outs in the past,” reflects Weber. “So we had to clean up the plenum space, the exterior perimeter and the existing floor to

make it presentable for the type of new space we would be creating.

Asurion wanted to give the new development center an urban loft feel with an open structure and exposed concrete floors. But before we could do anything, there had to be a lot of demolition and general repair to the core and shell before it would work for the environment that we were trying to create.”

Possible Expansion

Elevator lobby Possible Expansion

Shared Meeting Space

Cross-functional team POD (1 of 9)

n o ti Recep

Shared Commons, Break area, Cafeteria and COllaborative Space

It was the designers’ intent for each pod to be its own unique family and environment—a microcosm— where employees work in tandem in an open environment but use social cues to know when focus time or collaborative time is more appropriate. The unique pod environment aims to maximize productivity and staff satisfaction.

Tables and stools in the pod’s center allow for meetings and discussion.

Possible Expansion

Possible Expansion

“When we were creating a prototype for a pod, we had to determine how many people a pod would need to hold and what items were going to go into that pod,” explains Weber.

“We decided to incorporate segmented desk space within the pods to provide employees with a private area for concentration that’s separated from the group space, and placed tables and stools in the pod’s center that allow for meetings and discussion. We also provided clear glass and walls that double as whiteboards for teams to write on, and large, flat panel displays where programmers can share ideas with other team members.

a diverse mix of employees can work in tandem in an open environment “The extensive use of glass along the pod’s corridors and in pod entryways allows team members to see inside the pods and to assess the working conditions of the pod’s occupants—whether they’re talking or working privately. Ultimately, the pods give employees control of their own environment by allowing them to understand their team makeup. As the company grows, all they need to do is add pods, as opposed to growing one section of a functional type and then reorganizing everything because you grew one group but weren’t growing the next.”

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Shared Meeting Space

Asurion’s initial idea for the space was to place similar functional groups together (such as programmers with programmers, and testers with testers), and provide a shared, collaborative space that would enable crossfunctional teams to come together.

However, as the design team began to evaluate the new workspace and understand the working styles and needs of Asurion’s functional groups and teams, a different concept was agreed upon.

“Based on our research, as well as our experience with workplace strategies, we found that individuals can successfully focus on what they’re doing while in a room of up to 12 coworkers,” says Weber.

“When working together with other team members, there are times for heads-down concentration, and times when a more collaborative effort is required.”

To address these diverse work patterns, the design team developed a pod-themed workplace concept that combined cross-functional team members together in a space that would allow each group to form its own unique microcosmic environment. In this setting, a diverse mix of employees can work in tandem in an open environment, but then use social cues when heads-down time is more appropriate. Additionally, nine 11-person pods were positioned at strategic locations within the space’s unusually shaped floor plate. This pod-themed design would allow the office to expand as more team members came on board. Individual pods could be built out as needed to extend the space gradually in any of four directions.

A S U R I ON – A T L A N T A D E V E L O P M E N T C E N T E R

Interior views Exterior views

A Pod-themed Workplace

An open plenum ceiling painted white, and a stained and polished concrete floor provide a unique loft feel for a basic Class A office building.

Vibrant graphic walls add energy and color, and also provide wayfinding cues. The lively color palette carries over to the pods and other areas of the office space.

Striking Interiors

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In addition to an open environment, Asurion executives expressed the need for a color scheme that represented the company’s forwardthinking culture and the creative work that takes place behind closed doors. The design team decided on a warm yet bold palette of oranges, reds, greens, yellows and magentas, along with furniture in complementary tones. Wall graphics were also used throughout the space to add energy and visual interest at key circulation points.

“The ADC is intentionally a little more colorful than the corporate headquarters we designed

in 2004,” says Weber. “Blue and orange are in Asurion’s logo, but the rest of the colors needed to be really dynamic.”

Moving farther into the office space, vibrant graphic walls visible at the ends of corridors not only add energy and color, but also provide wayfinding cues. The lively color palette carries over to the pods and the cafeteria/breakroom, which features tiered stadium seating that can be adapted for various uses during team meetings and presentations.

“The breakroom area needed to have a lot of flexibility in terms

of what they could use it for,” says Weber. “It serves as a break space where you can eat lunch, chat with coworkers or grab a cup of coffee.

It also doubles as an area where the entire office can come together and listen to leaders give a presentation.

That’s when the tiered seating can really be utilized.”

To further enhance the open, collaborative theme, a mix of hightop and traditional dining tables, stools and comfortable chairs was incorporated throughout the space. This variety of seating options gives employees the ability to share ideas and collaborate on

Corridors range from 6 feet to 12 feet wide, with places to perch for casual conversation outside the pod. Staff can see inside to assess the current working conditions of the pod’s employees.

product solutions away from their desks and pods.

“We not only created a workspace that’s functional, inspiring and fun, but were also able to incorporate sustainable elements into that workspace,” adds Weber. “We used energyefficient lighting to minimize the light level. We chose low-VOC paints and sealers for the concrete floors, and installed carpets that have a high amount of recycled content. We also made the best possible use of natural light. Virtually every space and every person has access to it, along with views of the wooded setting. At the end of the day, we’ve given Asurion a

Glass doors and walls contribute to the open atmosphere of the entire space and serve as marker boards for teams to write on during collaborative sessions.

space that performs well and shows well, and is something they can be extremely proud of.”

“One of our original goals was to promote collaboration between the functional groups in IT, and I have never seen so much interaction between groups,” says Terri Russell, office manager for the Asurion ADC. “I walk the space two or three times a day and people are really working together. I work within the management team pod, and that has been a great space to work in. We are very accessible to all the employees, and the organization feels like one big team versus a more hierarchical firm.

“I previously had an office and was initially skeptical about coming to a place with an open concept,” continues Russell, “but I have adapted to it and love it. The employees have also adapted extremely well to this concept. I see groups in various states of heads-down focus, collaboration and sometimes just kicking back and socializing. The cafeteria/breakroom is also working really well. We have all-hands meetings in there every week and can easily fit everyone in using the tiered, bleacher-style seating. We use that space for lots of social events as well.”

A bleacher-style platform offers a creative way to maximize seating when this space is used for an all-hands meeting. A variety of seating suitable for different uses is provided throughout the facility.

Setting a new standard in workplace design, Asurion’s Atlanta Development Center has the space to support 100 staff and can easily accommodate the fast-growing company as it expands. With its smart workplace strategy and vibrant architectural and interior design elements, the new software development center successfully addresses all of Asurion’s key objectives of providing a highly functional and dynamic environment for IT’s best and brightest.

“The space is working great,” confirms Russell. “We are getting the cream-of-the-crop, 100-percent best programmers and developers to come and work for us.”▪

“I have never seen so much interaction between groups.”

— Terri Russell, Asurion ADC Office Manager

The

Art of

Consolidation BayCare Health System’s Headquarters

A leading community-based health system in the Tampa Bay area, BayCare Health System (BCHS) is comprised of a network of 10 not-forprofit hospitals, outpatient facilities and services including lab, imaging, behavioral health and home healthcare. Supporting nearly 20,000 employees, BayCare’s corporate administrative offices were housed in multiple leased properties spread out across three counties. Recognizing the need to consolidate all of its administrative employees into a single location, BCHS commissioned GS&P to design its new corporate office campus. The new headquarters will consist of two 150,000-square-foot, three-story office buildings to be master planned and built in two separate phases to coincide with the expiration of leases. The facility will also serve as the main site for training BayCare’s medical personnel from across the system.

Client

BayCare Health System

Location

Clearwater, Florida

Market

Corporate + Urban Design

Services

Architecture Environmental Graphics Interior Design Site Master Planning Workplace Strategy/Programming

Team PIC, PD Jeffrey W. Kuhnhenn, AIA, LEED AP

PM, PD Jacqueline Russo, IIDA, LEED AP PP Eric Bearden, AIA PC Andres H. Orozco, AIA PC Brian Hubbard PC Alyson B. Mandeville, IIDA, EDAC

G. Mike Summers

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GS&P had completed several successful hospital projects for BayCare Health System in the past,” says Jeff Kuhnhenn, GS&P senior architect and principal-in-charge on the project. “So we already had a strong awareness of who the organization was and what they were about.

However, building a hospital and building a workplace are two very different things. So we started out by asking a lot of questions and then actively listening to their responses about what does and doesn’t work for them.”

A large measure of those questions and answers were traded during preliminary visioning sessions—a workplace strategy that aligns goals for the project.

“The visioning sessions really kicked off the whole thing,” explains Kuhnhenn. “The sole purpose of visioning is to build consensus around a common set of ideals that are defined in a common language, so as you move through the process it’s easy to go back and revisit why and how we decided upon something.”

“Those early sessions were a huge part of the development of the project and how we got to where we are today,” adds Jacqui Russo, GS&P senior interior designer. “We initially

worked with a core staff of around 25 people—directors, leaders, VPs—who head up all the departments. We took them through those workplace strategy visioning sessions and came out with a lot of key information that gave us the guiding principles for the design.”

Guiding principles established during these fundamental working sessions included the need to foster collaboration between employees via an open, effective workspace. It was also determined that the new corporate headquarters should convey a sense of permanence and reliability, as well as embody BayCare’s brand and culture.

“The client was involved from the very beginning in developing these guiding principles,” reflects Russo, “and I think that’s why they’re more passionate about this project than perhaps a client who hasn’t been involved in this process. They really wanted to get the right functioning program fulfilled, and they have a genuine sense of ownership in the project as a whole.”

Once fully developed, the final workplace strategy provided an informed blueprint and design criteria for the new campus that pragmatically aligned with BCHS’ mission and organizational goals.

Glass walls on the second level and a monumental stair provide a visual connection between visiting team members and the on-site administrative staff.

Dining Hall

Main Entry for Visitors

Future Phase 2

Phase 1 Outdoor Dining & Activity Terrace

Above: Built on a former borrow pit for nearby construction, soil conditions limited building orientation options.

Strategically positioned stormwater ponds create curb appeal while solving technical challenges below grade.

Below left: A three-story archway at the entry gives a strong first impression. Below right: Core values are prominently featured in the lobby as an embodiment of BayCare’s open and transparent culture.

Phase 2 Parking

Location, Location, Location shrink based on rainfall,” adds Eric Bearden, GS&P senior architect and project team member. “So you have to mitigate that to get a solid surface to build upon.”

Working with the site’s natural stormwater flows, along with the placement of the buildings, the design team devised a solution that fit BayCare’s desire to project an institutional image while avoiding geotechnical challenges below grade.

“What we eventually ended up with was some minor gyrations with the angle between the buildings,” says Kuhnhenn. “We moved them north and south, then east and west, until we finally found the optimal location.”

A Sense of Permanence In addition to consolidating administrative spaces, an important mission for the new headquarters was to imbue the organization with a sense of institutional longevity. To achieve this, the design team relied

“The openness and transparency of the design clearly exemplifies BayCare’s culture.”

—Jacqui Russo

upon pure geometries and vertical rhythms that reference historic civic structures while serving the vital function of providing shade.

“We decided to go with a design that affected a smart, corporate feel,” says Kuhnhenn. “We eliminated horizontal overhangs in favor of a lot of verticality. The main entry is basically a three-story archway into the

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building that gives people their first impression of the BayCare Health System, and this aligned with the message they wanted to convey going forward, which was a sense of permanence and maturity.

“BayCare was founded in 1997, and in a relatively short period of time they’ve grown into a chain of hospitals and outpatient facilities with close to 20,000 employees. With this new headquarters, they’re essentially planting a flag that says they’re a mature organization with well-thought-out processes and methodologies, and when you come to work for them you’re becoming a part of that. I think that’s why the more mature, corporate look was appealing to the administration. They really wanted to put down roots and build a sense of permanence.”

It was also pivotal to BayCare that the new facility represent its brand and culture, not just to the outside world, but also to the thousands of hospital and clinic-based employees who will attend orientation and training programs within the building.

“The openness and transparency of the design clearly exemplifies BayCare’s culture,” says Russo.

“They want to be welcoming to the community, and when you enter into the main lobby area that message is clearly spoken there. The two-story space has their branding weaved throughout the design, including their core values, which are prominently featured.”

“We also worked with their marketing group to brand the four corridors that run off the main lobby area,” adds Alyson Mandeville, GS&P

B ay C are H ealth S ystem ' s H eadquarters

With 300,000 square feet of office space schematically designed, a site large enough to accommodate the two three-story buildings would be required. BayCare ultimately decided upon a 40-acre site in its home base of Clearwater, Florida. Conveniently located between the central business districts of Tampa and St. Petersburg, the site would not only afford the organization ample room to grow, but it would also allow BayCare to engage with and contribute to the surrounding community.

“One of the challenges with suburban sites is they are often remote from other needs,” says Kuhnhenn.

“This particular site is right in the middle of a mixture of all kinds of different uses, from single- and multifamily homes to recreational facilities and churches, and it’s an appropriate neighborhood for this kind of development. The site works for the scale of the buildings, and it’s also fitting because BayCare’s mission is all about community health. It makes perfect sense for them to be located squarely within a living community.”

In spite of its obvious advantages, the site’s natural depressions and general soil quality presented the design team with some unique geotechnical challenges.

“The site had never really been developed and was formerly used as a borrow pit for the construction of an adjacent land bridge,” explains Kuhnhenn.

“Between the condition of the soil and the site’s natural geology, we had limited options for how we could orient the buildings.”

“There was also a lot of vegetation in the soil, which can swell and

“With this new headquarters, they’re essentially planting a flag that says they’re a mature organization with wellthought-out processes and methodologies, and when you come to work for them you’re becoming a part of that.”

—Jeff Kuhnhenn

Pure geometries and vertical rhythms reference historic civic structures while providing shade. Sun shades and horizontal screens, combined with the efficient use of glass and a central energy plant, resulted in buildings that are more than 60 percent more energy efficient than the average Tampa office building.

Open Office Neighborhood Shared amenities zone

Open Office Neighborhood

Open to Lobby below

Open Office Neighborhood

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By grouping the majority of shared amenities at the center of each floor, employee collaboration is encouraged. Conference rooms and private offices run along the perimeter of the centralized space, while café tables and casual seating provide an area for meetings. Open offices were positioned to face large windows, and private offices look out over workstation areas.

interior designer and project team member. “We branded each of those corridors with colors, as well as the locations that the BayCare system represents.”

Designed with the visiting employee in mind, the main lobby features a monumental stair and glass walls on the second level that provide a visual connection between visiting team members and the on-site administrative staff who support them.

“As people go about their daily business on the upper two floors of the building, we wanted them to have periodic connections down to the lobby space,” says Kuhnhenn.

“Visitors to the building are primarily people who work for BayCare, such as team members who come in for training. We wanted to avoid the out-of-sight, out-of-mind tendency as much as possible. If you never see

Open Office Neighborhood

N

these people then you may forget why the administration exists. And it doesn’t exist for its own sake. It exists to support all the team members who are on the front lines of the hospitals.”

Functional, Smart and Efficient

BCHS is poised for a brand new era that infuses the growing corporation with a true sense of permanence and ownership.

35

SHOWCASE SIX

Another guiding principle established during early visioning sessions called for the design of the new campus to place an emphasis on functional, smart, efficient and forward-looking concepts in order to maximize value for the not-for-profit organization.

“It was imperative that we deliver a smart, thoughtful design solution that respects both BayCare’s mission and stakeholders by being sensitive to cost,” stresses Kuhnhenn. “Our job was to avoid frivolity, focus on

the majority of shared amenities at the center of each floor, the design team determined that a more appealing café/break area that balanced private spaces with collaborative workspaces could be generated.

Conference rooms and private offices run along the perimeter of the centralized space, while café tables and casual seating provide an area for meetings and impromptu discussions and allow employees to work on their computers away from their desks. Materials that can be easily changed, such as carpet tiles and paint, are accented with shades of coral, green and turquoise, echoing the local flora, fauna and water, to create an interior that harmonizes with its natural setting while reflecting the essence of the organization.

Further augmenting employee interaction, a circular 6,500-squarefoot dining hall connects both buildings and doubles as a special events venue for fundraisers and other programs. It’s curving, crescent-shaped walls, soffits and patterns create a less formal, more dynamic space to encourage a sense of community.

But perhaps at the heart of BayCare’s decision to move forward with such a large-scale amalgamation was its need for a more efficient and collaborative workspace.

“With this first phase, we have a three-story building at 50,000 square feet per floor that will be filled with people who are coming in from all these other offices that make up training, administration, marketing, legal,

B ay C are H ealth S ystem ' s H eadquarters

Floor Plan - Level 2

the value-added and give them a first-class facility. Where there are components of the building that go the extra step, they exist for a very specific reason, such as the exterior sun shading, which not only adds to the building’s character but also to its energy efficiency.”

On the phase-one building’s east and west exteriors, sun shading comprised of three-story vertical fins protect employees from Tampa’s intense morning and afternoon sun.

Facades with more southern exposure are protected by horizontal screens that provide shade, as well as reflect light into the open office spaces.

Strategies such as these, combined with the efficient use of glass and a central energy plant, resulted in buildings that are more than 60 percent more energy efficient than the average Tampa building.

“We decided this building was not going to be more than 40 percent glass, and that was the process we used moving forward,” explains Kuhnhenn. “It was vital that we had just enough glass to benefit from daylighting, but not so much glass that we’d start to see the detriment of heat gain. We could have wrapped the whole structure in glass, but the responsible management of glazing, along with the use of shading treatments, really helped control both heat and cost.”

Another key theme for maximizing value and employing forwardthinking strategies became fostering employee interaction. By grouping

areas. We worked very hard with all of the departments to try to assess their needs and design a layout that not only fits their needs, but also makes them feel comfortable.”

“The plan for flexibility was also really important,” stresses Russo.

“Wherever we had extra space, we added open workstations or meeting rooms. Those spaces were designed on a standard footprint so that you could easily throw up a wall and have two offices, or take out a wall and have a conference room.”

37

SHOWCASE SIX

finance, managed care and quality assurance,” explains Russo. “Some of the employees have worked together in leased office space, but others have been segregated because there was no real estate for them to be together, so it’s going to be an immense culture change.”

“And we had to design spaces in which departments could efficiently work and adapt to this culture change,” adds Mandeville. “We strategically positioned the offices so that we’ve got large expanses of exterior windows facing open office environments, and private offices that look out over those workstation

B ay C are H ealth S ystem ' s H eadquarters

A 6,500-square-foot dining hall connects the two buildings. With its curving walls, soffits and patterns, the dynamic space encourages a sense of community.

With its first wave of employees relocating to the phase-one building by the end of 2013, BCHS is poised for a brand new era that infuses the growing corporation with a true sense of permanence and ownership.

“When you transition from disseminated rental office properties into a beautiful, two-building campus that you own, that says quality and commitment and that you plan to be there for a long time,” says Russo. “And there are moments in the building that speak volumes as far as the quality of the design, which aligns with the quality of care that the organization gives back to the community.”

“This major consolidation marks the end of silos for BayCare,” adds Kuhnhenn. “I think you’ll see education improve, and internally the organization will be able to get things done a whole lot faster. The idea that you design based on promoting interaction is something that we advocate in a lot of corporate facilities, and it’s a natural fit for BayCare. At the end of the day, it will result in a far more unified culture.”▪

a

Clear solution

Bowling Green Municipal Utilities Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion and Renovation

Client

Bowling Green Municipal Utilities

Location

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Market

Water Resources

Services

Architecture Civil Engineering Electrical Engineering Instrumentation and Controls Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Process Plumbing Structural Engineering

team PIC Kenneth D. Baker PM, PP Michael A. Burgett, P.E. PP Jon D. Long, P.E., LEED AP PP Michael L. Orr, P.E. PP Craig S. Parker, P.E. PP Kenneth A. Richards, P.E. PP James R. Wilson, P.E., LEED AP PP William A. Wood, AIA, NCARB PC Kristi M. Schnell, P.E. PD J. Dale Mosley CAD Andrew Bratcher CAD Pat Earles CAD Christopher A. Temple CA Scott Kibby, EI 40

CA Regina Wiesner

SHOWCASE SIX

Ron Abraham, P.E., BCEE

Awards

2013 Grand Award - Water and Wastewater - ACEC of Tennessee 2013 Best Beneficial Use of Biosolids KY/TN Water Environment Association

S

upporting a population of close to 60,000, Bowling Green is the third largest city in Kentucky.

Located approximately 100 miles south of Louisville and 60 miles north of Nashville, the city was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. Today, affectionately nicknamed “Vette City,” Bowling Green is perhaps best known for its Corvettes, caves and Western Kentucky University.

Situated on the Barren River, the city’s wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) collects wastewater from both the city of Bowling Green and outlying areas of Warren County, and discharges the treated effluent back into the river. Built in 1964, the facility was upgraded and renovated in 1976, and again in 1992, which was the last time the plant underwent significant improvements. Faced with an aging infrastructure, more stringent effluent requirements, and projected growth in the area, Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) commissioned GS&P to lead the design and engineering processes required to assess treatment and residuals management alternatives for a new 15 million-gallon-per-day (mgd) wastewater treatment plant.

The project’s objectives included the design and construction of a new WWTP that complied with stricter

biological nutrient removal requirements, had adequate capacity to treat both present and future wastewater flows, and provided a sustainable, cost-effective solution for biosolids handling and disposal.

“BGMU is a leader in environmental stewardship, but they recognized they weren’t immune to the adverse and unpredictable effects of an aging treatment plant,” says Ken Baker, senior vice president of GS&P’s water resources division. “In 2007, they determined the need to make improvements to the existing facility based on a 201 Facilities Plan report that projected the current plant wouldn’t have enough capacity to serve a growing population by 2025. Another key driver for the plant upgrade was the EPA’s requirements for discharge into the Barren River, which were becoming much tougher.

“Prior to this project, the treatment plant’s capacity was 10.6 million gallons per day. The 201 Facilities Plan report, which was required by the Kentucky Division of Water, determined that BGMU needed a plant that could handle 15 million gallons of sewage on an average day. So we had to find the means to expand the plant from 10.6 mgd to 15 mgd, and then provide the technology that would allow the plant to achieve the more stringent waste requirements.”

BEFORE

The original plant could only hold 10.6 million gallons of sewage per day.

“...they recognized they weren’t immune to the adverse and unpredictable effects of an aging treatment plant.”

—Ken Baker

Exploring Alternatives

SHOWCASE SIX

42

Led by GS&P, a team comprised of project managers, designers, engineers and operational and maintenance (O&M) personnel was formed in order to solicit vital input from BGMU staff during the design phase.

The integrated team was challenged early and often to develop recommendations that met the criteria established by the basis of design.

These criteria included: the use of energy-efficient equipment and existing tankage where practical; simplicity and reliability of operation and maintenance; 20-year life cycle costs; identifying a sustainable treatment process that could provide biological nutrient removal (BNR); utilizing the existing site and avoiding any construction in the floodplain; and minimizing disruption of existing plant operations during construction.

“We were adamant about engaging the client throughout the project— especially the O&M staff,” says Baker.

“We wanted their input from day one on everything—from equipment and process selection, to how and where the plant was going to be built.”

“We conducted a series of workshops for BGMU, and had operational and maintenance staff accompany us on site visits to several different facilities to assess the operating performance of different wastewater treatment technologies,” adds Kristi Schnell, GS&P senior associate and water resources engineer. “This approach encouraged the staff to be engaged in the design and selection of equipment—as well as process controls, instrumentation and control systems—and ultimately gave BGMU more ownership in the final facility.

“You really have to listen to the people who are working in the field on a day-to-day basis. It’s often about the little things, such as having to bend down to work on pumps or to turn on valves, and in certain areas

we came up with design solutions that placed apparatuses at eye-level so they would be easier for staff to access.

It’s one thing to design something on paper, but if staff aren’t going to be able to run and maintain it, then there really is no point.”

During the design process, examination of FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps determined that approximately 30 percent of the existing 39acre parcel of land was located in a floodplain. Due to the Special Flood Hazard Areas, there was nominal space to build an upgraded facility using bioreactors and secondary clarifiers as initially planned. To address this site constraint, it was ultimately decided that the sequencing batch reactor’s (SBR) extended aeration process provided the best overall solution for the plant upgrade. The largest SBR in the U.S. at the time of installation, the new reactor would provide more efficient wastewater processing for higher volumes, while offering a treatment process that could achieve BNR to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the effluent.

“We evaluated several options for the new plant and presented BGMU with five short-listed alternatives that we recommended for the site,” says Baker. “We decided on the SBR process not only because it’s small footprint would allow us to meet site constraints, but also because it could produce an effluent that would meet both current and anticipated EPA standards. It also offered the lowest life cycle costs, and operationally we knew it would respond well to stormwater flows.”

In addition to the selection of the SBR process, the GS&P team was able to utilize some of the plant’s existing infrastructure by using the remaining digester structures for the aerated sludge holding tanks.

Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) Diagram Sequencing batch reactors are industrial processing tanks for the treatment of wastewater such as sewage. Oxygen is bubbled through the wastewater to reduce biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand in order to make effluent suitable for discharge into the river.

Wastewater Fill

Idle

React

During Construction

Sludge

Dewatering/ Drying

Effluent

Draw

Settle

River

In Operation

Biosolids Process Flow Diagram

0.8 -1.5

2.2

23.3

23.3

Going Green $17,424. The equivalent amount of BGreen would be 7.4 trucks, and at $23 a ton that comes to $4,085, which is a $13,339 savings for the farmers.

“This new thermal dryer represents a huge environmental and economic improvement over the previous process because it promotes sustainable use of waste, and is projected to reduce BGMU’s residuals management costs by at least 30 percent per dry ton. Also, the BGreen product has proved to be very effective as a crop fertilizer, and demand is extremely high among farmers who recognize both the value of getting it locally and the value of the product.”

In addition to the leading-edge thermal drying and sequencing batch reactor technologies, the new design included new headworks and preliminary treatment processes, aerated sludge holding tanks, a new influent pump station, improved odor control mechanisms, a septage receiving station, high-efficiency turbo-compressor blowers, ultraviolet disinfection equipment and dewatering centrifuges. Updated instrumentation and controls allow operators overseeing the process to monitor and control operations with real-time data response technology.

45

“...projected to reduce BGMU’s residuals management costs by at least 30 percent per dry ton.”

—KRISTI SCHNELL

SHOWCASE SIX

per day, which can be used as an agricultural fertilizer supplement.

Designed to address the needs of a medium-size municipality such as Bowling Green, the revolutionary biosolids dehydration system would also keep operator attention and maintenance costs to a minimum.

“The dryer arrived on site in August 2011 and was commissioned in June 2012,” says Schnell.

“It weighed over 130,000 pounds, and Therma-Flite had to get special roadway permits to transport it from Benicia, California, to Bowling Green.

The dryer only traveled on secondary highways, which meant that all the bridges had to be checked to make sure they would support the weight.

While traveling through the Rocky Mountains, the dryer had to travel at 3-4 miles per hour.”

With the Therma-Flite dryer in place at BGMU’s plant, local farmers can now visit the facility and leave with tons of sustainable Class A biosolids to fertilize their crops and fields. Prior to the dryer’s installation, these farmers were forced to travel to either Louisville’s or Nashville’s wastewater treatment facilities to purchase a Class A product, or pay for the cost of commercial-grade fertilizer.

“BGMU has marketed its Class A biosolids as ‘BGreen,’ and they’re selling it at $23 a ton,” says Schnell. “As a comparison, the most commonly used commercial-grade fertilizer costs about $726 per ton.

One full truck of commercialgrade fertilizer, which holds approximately 24 tons, costs

B o wli n g G ree n M u n icipal U tilities W astewater T reatme n t P la n t E xpa n si o n a n d R e n o v ati o n

Prior to GS&P’s upgrades to the plant, BGMU had to pay for trucks to haul waste material (known as dewatered cake) to the Ohio County Balefill, located approximately 60 miles northwest of the facility. In order to reduce the transportation fees associated with hauling the byproduct, the team evaluated several options to determine a long-term, sustainable solution, including composting, lime stabilization, microwave drying technology and thermal drying technology. All alternatives were assessed using a 20-year life cycle cost analysis that accounted for capital, operation and maintenance costs.

“Most wastewater treatment plants utilize landfills to dispose of their residuals,” says Schnell.

“However, landfilling the residuals requires tipping fees and transportation costs, which can be quite expensive, and there’s limited space in a landfill. In BGMU’s case, the landfill operators couldn’t provide an assurance that they would continue to accept the residuals over the long term, and this uncertainty presented a major challenge. To tackle this issue, we went through an extensive evaluation process with BGMU’s management team and finally decided on utilizing a Therma-Flite indirect dryer because it would provide a long-lasting, sustainable residuals management plan.”

The largest thermal dryer in the U.S., as well as the first of its kind, the Therma-Flite IC-10,000 BIOSCRU® dryer can process 10,000 pounds of water per hour or 12.5 dry tons of sustainable Class A biosolids

SHOWCASE SIX

46

Recipient of the Grand Award for the Water and Wastewater category in the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee’s 2013 Engineering Excellence Awards competition, Bowling Green Wastewater Treatment Plant’s $40 million renovation and expansion features costeffective and operator-friendly technologies that support higher treatment volumes, produce higherquality effluent, and provide longterm sustainable biosolids management solutions.

“Bowling Green WWTP is now producing a better effluent and has the capacity to support the needs of the city of Bowling Green for years

to come,” says Schnell. “With the new SBR process, the water quality is far superior compared to the old method, and visually it looks almost identical to what comes out of your faucet. So the plant is putting cleaner water back into the river than the water plant is drawing out.”

“GS&P’s design achieved every objective that we put forward,” says Mike Gardner, director of water and sewer services at BGMU. “The renovated plant will help us to meet existing and future requirements, and to embrace our commitment to environmentally conscious wastewater practices without sacrificing economic practicalities.”▪

“...the water quality is far superior compared to the old method, and visually it looks almost identical to what comes out of your faucet.”

—Kristi Schnell

Right: A primary goal to improve the quality of the effluent discharged into the river by the WWTP was achieved. It provides significant value to the health, safety and welfare of the Bowling Green community.

Barren River Water

Above, Left to Right: Wet cake hopper and dewatering biosolid auger; sequential batch reactors aeration turbo blowers; ultraviolet disinfection electrical control equipment.

Drinking Water (Discharge from WTP)

Wastewater Effluent (Discharge to River)

Dried Class a Biosolids

CITY OF DALLAS - SOUTHSIDE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT ENERGY MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Client

Location

Dallas, Texas

Market

W

power usage by 15 percent across the DWU enterprise by 2013. To help meet these goals, and also the City’s target to decrease electricity use by at least five percent annually, GS&P began discussions regarding methods to further improve energy conservation/reduction efforts through the implementation of a customized EMIP, which would be used as part of the UMS. “The City was very interested in putting together a plan that was not only very specific to energy, but would also track and measure targets and objectives,” says Chris Haney, GS&P senior vice president of water resources and principal-in-charge on the project. “They needed a plan that organized past recommendations from energy audits and previous studies into an Energy Management Implementation Plan that provided the needed budget, schedule and tracking mechanism to get these projects implemented. It took about a year to formulate the project and its scope, but after multiple revisions we came up with an EMIP that was more than just a plan; it was a living document—online, easy to access and Citywide— that contained multiple energy saving opportunities.”

Services

Capital Project Planning Energy Management Planning Energy Conservation Greenhouse Gas Emission Planning Wastewater Treatment Operations Assessment Water and Energy Nexus Planning

team PIC, PM Christopher M. Haney, P.E. PP Kenneth D. Baker PP Lauren J. Seydewitz, LEED AP BD+C

Amanda Smith, EI Phillip Galbreath Ron Abraham, P.E., BCEE David A. Johnson, P.E. Stephanie Houston

“They needed a plan that organized past recommendations into an EMIP that provided the needed budget, schedule and tracking mechanism to get these projects implemented.”

—Chris Haney

49

SHOWCASE SIX

ith an Environmental Management System (EMS) that covers 11 of its municipal departments—and most of its 13,000 employees—the City of Dallas stands as a national leader in its commitment to the environment.

The comprehensive use of an EMS not only represents the City’s promise to continuously make environmentally savvy improvements in every City department, but also within the job descriptions of every City employee.

As part of this EMS, the City of Dallas set a target to decrease electricity use citywide by at least five percent annually for a 10-year period.

Having assisted Dallas Water Utilities (DWU)—one of the largest water and wastewater utility systems in the United States—with the development and implementation of an ISOcertified Utility Management System (UMS), GS&P was able to identify an Energy Management Implementation Plan (EMIP) as a way for DWU to not only meet this annual target, but also achieve other key energy savings goals identified in the UMS. Through its UMS, Dallas Water Utilities empowers staff at all levels to manage, monitor and measure goals and objectives for improvement.

The system encompasses a number of primary initiatives including: a 50-year water supply plan that incorporates water conservation; a 20-year strategic master plan for wastewater treatment facilities; and an energy conservation goal to reduce

Water Resources

C ity o f D allas - S o uthside W astewater T reatme n t P la n t E n ergy M a n ageme n t I mpleme n tati o n P la n

City of Dallas Water Utilities

A Custom-Designed Planning Tool

SHOWCASE SIX

50

GS&P’s innovative EMIP for DWU’s Southside Waste Water Treatment Plant included four distinct goals that encompassed: creating an industrybest template that could be utilized in all other City facilities; combining other energy-related recommendations into a single plan that could be managed and executed as a management system; developing initiatives that allow the plant to exceed the 15-percent energy use reduction goal; and providing an implementation schedule for each initiative that documents life cycle costs to implement (as well as savings after implementation).

“The EMIP essentially provides a tool for management that allows them to prioritize initiatives based on financial and environmental benefits, and even social impacts,” explains GS&P environmental scientist Lauren Seydewitz.

“The format of the EMIP is complementary to the City’s EMS and DWU’s Utility Management System by tracking progress and benefits, and communicating the schedule status for each project. In a nutshell, the EMIP provides a way for management to quickly determine the status of projects that are impacting electricity use at the plant.”

Customized for the City’s use, and also designed for utilization in other facilities, GS&P’s industry-best EMIP template included: background, description, applicable benefits; next steps; reference documents; project status; implementation schedule with cost/expenses; and more than 20 initiatives to help DWU meet its 15-percent energy reduction goal.

“The EMIP incorporates over 20 initiatives that define operational modifications, enhancements, and available capital projects to conserve

and reduce energy use,” explains Haney. “As initiatives are prioritized, scheduled and implemented, cost savings are updated on an EMIP template to document the return on investment. Each initiative, whether it’s an energy conservation measure or the opportunity for a new project, is posted on DWU’s intranet domain for access and usage as a management system.

“The EMIP provides a way for management to quickly determine the status of projects that are impacting electricity use at the plant.”

—Lauren Seydewitz “And there are tracking symbols that measure progress. Green means implemented, yellow means underway and red means not started. At any point, any of the stakeholders within the City who are tasked with managing and meeting energy reduction goals can have the current status right at their fingertips.”

Initiatives in the EMIP include improvements to Southside Waste Water Treatment Plant that will increase energy efficiency; reduce kWh/ million gallons treated; and utilize all on-site resources to reduce costs and resource consumption. Additionally, water conservation and operational improvements initiatives incorporated into the customized plan will help to save energy.

1

1

2 2

ROI

An industry template customized for the City’s use that can be utilized by all other City facilities. This step develops the initiatives that allow the plant to exceed the 15 percent energy use reduction goal.

An implementation schedule was set for each initiative to document life cycle costs as well as savings after implementation. The return on investment (ROI) was then documented.

INFLUENT PUMP STATION

COGENERATION FACILITY

SIDE STREAM BLOWERS

Larger pumping systems are utilized to bring wastewater into the plant and send treated wastewater out of the facility.

Influent pump stations significantly reduce the power consumed.

The cogeneration facility utilizes biogas produced from the biological treatment process. The energy produced is utilized to support the energy demands on-site and reduces the energy used by the city.

Ken Baker (left) assesses the sidestream blowers for energy efficiency and performance. They provide aeration for the side-stream treatment.

EXISTING BASIN EXISTING FACILITY STRUCTURE FACILITY CURRENTLY UNDER DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION PLANNED NEW FACILITIES PLANNED FACILITY REHABILITATION

N

LAND APPLICATION FIELDS

From the 150-mgd Bachman Water Treatment Plant to the 550mgd East Side Water Treatment Plant, the City of Dallas has a long-term goal to utilize GS&P’s EMIP template at its water and wastewater pump stations throughout the DWU system. Once completed department wide, the total

“The City of Dallas proactively promotes stewardship—both of the environment and the communityentrusted fiscal resources—to provide the best services available.”

—Chris Haney

annual implementation plan can be assessed and then managed across the enterprise.

“I love the simplicity of this EMIP,” says Seydewitz. “It really is user-friendly. It doesn’t matter if you’re an operator or if you’re the director of the utility because it puts a focus on ‘this is why what we did matters, and these are the next steps.’”

“The City of Dallas proactively promotes stewardship--both of the environment and the communityentrusted fiscal resources--to provide the best services available,” adds Haney. “The EMIP is yet another example of this stewardship.” In addition to this goal, they had another very aggressive energy-related project— the development of a cogeneration

53

SHOWCASE SIX

Completed by GS&P, the first EMIP for the 110-mgd Southside WWTP will guide DWU through its ongoing energy reduction activities.

“GS&P’s EMIP identified opportunities for significant energy savings by looking at power-intensive unit processes such as pumping, aeration, solids-handling and disinfection,” says Chris Kaakaty, GS&P senior vice president of water resources and former assistant director of wastewater operation at DWU. “It also provided the utility with a template that can be used at any water or wastewater treatment facility.”

facility at Southside WWTP—that reduced its daily energy usage by 2.0 megawatts. GS&P’s EMIP keeps the City on the right track by addressing energy management over the longterm and accounting for the needs of management and operators.

“I think everybody recognizes that their energy bills are going up, and that their water and sewer rates are going up also,” continues Haney. “So when you look at an organization like the City of Dallas, which has one of the largest environmental utility management systems in the country, it’s refreshing to see a utility that is incredibly progressive and forward-thinking. Even though they don’t have to act right now, they recognize that by taking no action they’re hurting their chances to be more responsible and more sustainable in the future. So they’re taking a very proactive approach to controlling the energy security at Southside WWTP, and that will ultimately have far-reaching benefits with the Metro Dallas and North Texas areas. By helping the City significantly reduce its energy use, our EMIP is an important part of this pre-emptive approach, which will ultimately benefit citizens and customers by lowering the cost of service, and keeping the City in a financial situation where they can continue to take on new technologies and do the right thing for the environment.”▪

C ity o f D allas - S o uthside W astewater T reatme n t P la n t E n ergy M a n ageme n t I mpleme n tati o n P la n

So that previous work efforts weren’t duplicated, GS&P’s EMIP compiled prior reports and recommendations (from previous master plans, recent energy audits and GS&P’s recommendations), into the one implementation plan that could be tracked and measured. For example, an energy audit report

by Oncor Electric Delivery Company was one of several sources featured in the EMIP that outlined specific energy conservation measures.

“DWU staff at Southside WWTP was looking for a way to systematically bring together previously completed studies that related to electricity efficiency opportunities and energy conservation measures at the plant, and the EMIP does just that,” says Seydewitz. “By not doubling up on previous recommenda tions—and there have been some pivotal reports compiled in the past—the City will ultimately save money.”

It’s All About

T iming Clayton County Traffic Signal Timing and Optimization

SHOWCASE SIX

54

A

Department of Energy to develop traffic signal timing plans that respond optimally to current traffic patterns and volumes from motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. Principal goals for the project included minimizing stops, delays, fuel consumption and air pollution emissions, in addition to maximizing progression along major arterials.

Client

Clayton County Department of Transportation and Development

Location

Clayton County, Georgia

Market

Transportation

Where Art Meets Science

Services

Engineering Planning

Team PIC Marion G. Waters III, P.E., PTOE PM Carla Holmes, P.E., PTOE PP Jay Bockisch, P.E., PTOE

France Campbell, P.E., PTOE Nithin Gomez, P.E. Josh Williams, P.E., PTOE

“… you’re able to progress along a corridor without having to stop at every traffic signal … you’re riding what traffic engineers sometimes refer to as a ‘green wave.’”

—Carla Holmes

55

SHOWCASE SIX

As a principal component of the extensive project, 77 intersections— part of nine interconnected, coordinated signal systems—would be retimed. Three additional isolated intersections on SR 314 (Fayetteville Road) would also be coordinated by procuring and installing wireless communications equipment, and synchronizing the new timing plans at each intersection.

“I think the important thing to understand is that a lot of people travel down roads that have traffic signals, and it’s very frustrating to motorists when they get unduly delayed by signals that don’t appear to be operating for the traffic that’s there,” says Carla Holmes, GS&P senior transportation engineer.

“When you’re idling in traffic it not only causes congestion, but it also wastes fuel and hurts the environment, and that’s where the energy conservation piece comes in. This project’s primary focus was getting all the county’s traffic signals in its major corridors timed efficiently.

That essentially means you’re able to progress along a corridor without having to stop at every traffic signal, and that you’re riding what traffic engineers sometimes refer to as a ‘green wave.’

“Sometimes traffic signal timing is done every three or four years, and in that space of time you could have new development or greater traffic

C layt o n C o u n ty T raffic S ig n al T imi n g a n d Optimi z ati o n P r o ject

vital tool used to safely and efficiently manage vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic, traffic signals are a fundamental part of nearly everyone’s lives, and must be regularly monitored and adjusted to serve ever-changing traffic patterns. In the United States alone there are approximately 300,000 traffic signals, and more than 75 percent could be improved either by updating equipment or adjusting the all-important timing.

Improved traffic signal timing and coordination offers one of the most cost-effective and expeditious ways to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and make our streets safer.

Recognizing this, the Clayton County Transportation and Development Department (T&D) selected GS&P to provide professional engineering services to develop and implement improved traffic signal timing plans for 182 intersections throughout the county.

“Clayton County was already in the midst of another project to upgrade its communications,” explains Marion Waters, GS&P senior vice president for ITS/traffic engineering and principal-in-charge on the project. “They are very progressive and understood they had the perfect opportunity to go back and retime their traffic signals, and take advantage of improved software and hardware with communications improvements already taking place.

“Their goal was to make significant traffic operations improvements throughout the county without incurring the costs that are typically associated with major capital improvement projects. So when the opportunity arose for them to apply for grant funds through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), they pursued the grant vigorously.”

The T&D was ultimately awarded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program funds by the

Atlanta International Airport

SR 314 Fayetteville Rd

SR 139 Riverdale Rd SR 54 Jonesboro Rd

SR 42

Upper Riverdale rd

77

Mount zion rd/ Mount Zion Blvd

SR 138 Main st

Intersections

9 Signal Systems

20

Miles of Roadway

SR 54 Fayetteville Rd

Clayton County

is turning to the left and turning to the right, affecting the timing that’s needed at the signal—that’s the art.”

“And it’s a balancing act, too,” adds Holmes. “It’s critical that you balance the mainline progression you’re timing without causing a lot of delay on the side streets. You’re looking at giving people as much green time as possible, but that means you’ve got red time on the opposing street, so you have to look at the overall picture as well as the individual motorists.”

Documentation and Training

[The retiming] resulted in more than $5 million in cost savings for the public, thanks to reduced stops, delays and fuel consumption.

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Throughout the comprehensive project, a series of reports was produced to fully document the timing plan development process. These reports became a valuable tool for the T&D, helping detail the existing conditions of its operations infrastructure and identify any operational deficiencies.

In addition to offering vital before and after statistics, the reports also provided Clayton County administrators with justification for the project, as well as future signal timing investments.

“Because this was a block grant, Clayton County administrators had to provide a lot of documentation to the Department of Energy to prove this project was money well spent,” says Holmes.

“The reports we generated were key because they showed measurable progress and the goals that were being achieved.”

Before and after studies documented in these reports determined that the annual savings

to motorists from retiming all of the intersections in each of the nine systems resulted in more than $5 million in cost savings for the public, thanks to reduced stops, delays and fuel consumption.

Not subject to pre- and postproject studies, an additional 102 isolated intersections throughout the county were also retimed. The improved timing of these isolated intersections also greatly enhanced traffic operations at these locations.

Another important element of the project was the training of staff.

The GS&P team developed a oneday training workshop to teach T&D personnel how to perform traffic signal timing tasks efficiently and how to maintain equipment as the need arises. The agenda of the program covered topics that would benefit newer staff members, as well as provide refresher training and more advanced instruction to experienced engineers and traffic signal technicians.

“After we completed the project, the county wanted to be able to maintain the timing without always having to ask consultants to do it for them,” explains Holmes. “They provided us with the topics they wanted to learn about, which included maintenance, diagnostics and the timing of the controller equipment.”

C layt o n C o u n ty T raffic S ig n al T imi n g a n d Optimi z ati o n P r o ject

volumes, so it’s not really keeping up with current traffic conditions. This project involved going out there and evaluating all of the existing conditions and then timing the signals to better address those conditions.”

Recognizing that traffic signal timing can be just as much an art as it is a science, the GS&P team supplemented the science of traffic flow theory with creative problemsolving and sound engineering judgment in order to develop new timing plans that would meet the needs of the county.

Timing plans developed for each intersection within the nine interconnected signal systems (totaling 20 miles of roadway) included morning peak, midday peak, evening peak and weekend peak periods. Holiday timing plans were also developed for two of the systems—SR 54 (Jonesboro Road) and Mount Zion Road/ Mount Zion Boulevard—which are heavily impacted by variations in holiday traffic.

“Just as no two people look exactly alike—even identical twins— every intersection is unique,” explains Waters. “Even intersections that are built to the same standard may have some physical differences when they’re actually put on the ground. We have a software program that can theoretically tell us what the best timing plan is for a particular intersection based on data input, but the computer is never going to know the exact radius at the intersection, or the precise length of the left-turn lane—and that’s where the art comes in rather than the science. A software program can give you the science of the solution. But having an engineer on-site, studying the way the motorist is interacting with pedestrians and

Sending the Right Signals

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At the outset of the project, GS&P had initially proposed to use BlueTOAD (Bluetooth Travel-time Origination and Destination) travel time monitoring system devices on a demonstration basis at two locations.

Once additional grant funds were made available to the county, the T&D decided to expand the use of BlueTOAD by procuring 25 permanent devices and installing them at key locations. Using cost-effective and non-intrusive technology, the BlueTOAD system would be used to accurately monitor travel times by detecting anonymous Bluetooth signals broadcast from mobile/vehicle devices, such as smartphones, headsets and music players.

“There are four different systems like this in the nation, but the one that’s the most widely used in this region is BlueTOAD,” explains Waters.

“When a set of units is deployed along a roadway, the BlueTOADs are able to match a vehicle’s Bluetooth MAC address—either from the vehicle itself or Bluetooth-enabled devices within—from point-to-point and determine the exact travel time it took that driver to get from point A to B. And by having the distance and time between those two points, you can calculate the speed.”

“The procurement of this equipment enables the county to monitor and respond to changing traffic conditions more efficiently,” adds Holmes. “It provides near real-time, accurate information to the County.

That information is also available on a website so they can see what the traffic conditions are like on a particular corridor and then make adjustments to the timing if needed.”

Also as part of the BlueTOAD installation, GS&P purchased a threeyear operations package and had a T1 line installed in the Clayton County

Traffic Control Center to provide communications for the system. The GS&P team worked closely to coordinate all procurements and to make sure they met stringent DOE “Buy America” requirements.

“All of the equipment that we purchased for the project had to be American-made,” says Holmes.

“The DOE was very strict about that requirement, and we were able to put together some extremely effective systems that satisfied those constraints.

And of course it all goes back into the economy.”

In addition to AM peak, midday peak, PM peak and weekend peak period timing plans, holiday timing plans were developed for two heavily trafficked intersections, including Mount Zion Road/ Mount Zion Boulevard.

25 BlueTOAD (Bluetooth Travel-time Origination and Destination) devices detect anonymous Bluetooth signals from mobile devices such as smartphones to determine travel time conditions.

The Perception of Timing

—Marion Waters

Whether they’re mounted on mast arms, sitting on a pole or suspended by a wire, traffic signals exist for one principal reason—to keep people safe. And if that safety can be augmented by a more streamlined and cost-effective system, then motorists, pedestrians and cyclists get the best of both worlds. But if that delicate synthesis of safety and efficiency appears out of sync, end users will ultimately look to their transportation officials for answers.

“Signal timing is one of the most customer-sensitive areas that

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departments of transportation face,” says Holmes. “People might not see or understand the inner workings of the equipment, but they’ll know how long it takes to stop at a signal.

And that’s where the motorists are getting their perception of how well their DOT is operating.”

“If it’s right, most people don’t notice it. But if it’s not, the DOTs will get more complaints about that than just about anything else,” adds Waters. “You’ll remember every signal that you stopped at, but you won’t remember the ones that you just cruised on through.

“With this signal timing project, we were not only trying to enhance the safety of the community, but we were also trying to help the economy of the community. If a person is spending $50 a week on gas, they’re extremely conscious of when they have to wait on two traffic signals. So, one of our goals was that even at the traffic signal with the longest delay, a motorist won’t have to wait more than one full cycle to get through it.

“Our professional ethics and responsibility call for us to do that type of job, and when we quit doing that it’s time for us to quit being engineers.

I think this project fulfills that message because we were constantly asking ourselves, ‘How can we make the county just a little better? How can we make a person’s commute just a little better?’ And if we’ve made just a tiny bit of difference in people’s lives, then we’ve really done our job.”▪

C layt o n C o u n ty T raffic S ig n al T imi n g a n d Optimi z ati o n P r o ject

“You’ll remember every signal that you stopped at, but you won’t remember the ones that you just cruised on through.”

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Custer Avenue CSO Relief

Client

City of Atlanta

Location

Atlanta, Georgia

Market

Water Resources

C

Services

Construction Engineering and Inspection Green Infrastructure Hydrology and Hydraulics Site Design Wet Weather

team PIC John W. Barlow PM Christopher M. Haney, P.E. PP Randall S. Booker, Jr., Ph.D., P.E.

Michael D. Bywaletz, P.E. Seth Dobyns Mark Hellerstedt, P.E. J. Dale Mosley Bridget Shealy

Collectively, all six projects provide almost 300,000 gallons of stormwater retention.

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the topography and potential runoff in those locations. We then made our recommendations to the City.”

“We came up with an implementation plan that categorized different design concepts into short-term, medium-term and long-term approaches to solve the flooding problem,” adds Mark Hellerstedt, GS&P senior water resources engineer. “Since we were under an emergency task order, we began focusing on the short-term solutions immediately.”

Phase one of the project (known as the Southeast Atlanta Green Infrastructure Initiative) focused on the Peoplestown, Summerhill and Mechanicsville communities.

Locations were identified throughout the two basins where stormwater best management practices (BMPs) could be installed to intercept, detain and slowly release stormwater into the collection system. These BMPs included bioretention ponds, rain gardens and detention ponds, which were developed on abandoned streets, City-owned park property and parking spaces in the city’s right-of-way.

Sustainable features implemented in the short-term initiative were designed to have an immediate impact on stormwater detention, preventing it from reaching the problem areas.

“The Custer Avenue CSO basin is located in and around an area where

C uster A v e n ue C S O R elief P r o ject

ombined sewer systems are designed to collect rainwater runoff and sewage in the same pipe and transport it to a treatment plant, where it’s treated and then discharged to a water body.

During especially heavy rainfalls, the volume of stormwater can overwhelm a city’s sewer system, causing it to overflow. Residents of Peoplestown, a low-lying Atlanta neighborhood, were especially vulnerable to this type of combined sewer overflow event (CSO). When back-to-back rainstorms caused significant flooding to residents’ homes in the area, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed vowed to implement short- and long-term solutions.

As a first step towards solving the problem, the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management reached out to GS&P via an emergency task order issued by the Mayor. As part of the BGR joint venture with Black & Veatch Corporation and Rohadfox Construction, the GS&P team quickly began working on a phased plan that would alleviate flooding in the Lloyd and Connally sewersheds.

“When GS&P—along with our partner firms—first began exploring ways to tackle this issue, we started out by assembling three teams to cover the two side-by-side drainage basins,” says John Barlow, GS&P senior vice president of water resources.

“The City had given us a list of areas where we could start implementing solutions, and our teams evaluated

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the peak flows started to develop in the upstream reaches and eventually infiltrated the piping systems,” explains Chris Haney, GS&P senior vice president of water resources. “At that juncture, it reached a hydraulic pitch point, and under extremely high-flow conditions the area ended up with severe flooding issues.

“The purpose of the first phase of this project was to reduce flooding by implementing green infrastructure.

This meant applying sustainable solutions—such as bioswales and stormwater retention ponds—that would allow the stormwater to seep naturally into the ground and mitigate flooding. This was opposed to using other methods, such as a hardpipe drainage system where stormwater goes through a parking lot’s curb and gutter system and then goes downstream where it can potentially overload the system. And that’s what happened in Peoplestown. By putting in these smaller green infrastructure systems, the impact of peak flow infiltrating the downstream system is significantly reduced.”

As part of the short-term initiative, six projects were executed to help reduce flooding throughout southeast Atlanta. These included: the conversion of City-owned parking spaces and sidewalks into rain gardens; the expansion of an existing detention basin to help divert stormwater runoff from parking lots and surrounding streets at Rosa Burney Park; and the conversion of an abandoned roadway into a bioretention pond. Collectively, all six projects provide almost 300,000 gallons of stormwater retention.

Designers and engineers worked together quickly and efficiently to come up with solutions that would ultimately bring relief to residents who lived in the affected areas.”

—Chris Haney

“The City gave us a budget of around $2 million for phase one, and our joint venture team essentially worked day and night, at an almost frantic pace, to get these green infrastructure projects in the ground,” reflects Haney. “Designers and engineers worked together quickly and efficiently to come up with solutions that would ultimately bring relief to residents who lived in the affected areas.”

Mid- and Long-term Solutions During the mid-term phase of the project, the City provided the team with a map that identified city streets with slopes of 0-6 percent with deep sewers. These thoroughfares were the

optimum locations for the installation of permeable pavers, which would also mitigate flooding.

“The implementation of permeable paving involved removing the asphalt and sub-base on identified streets and replacing those materials with a series of sustainable interlocking pavers,” explains Haney. “When the water hits these pavers, instead of running into the gutter and entering the drainage system, the spacing between the different paver systems allows the flow to seep through the granular materials. Stormwater still ends up in the main drainage system, but at a much slower pace.”

Looking to the future, long-term measures aimed at reducing flooding in problematic areas include the installation of underground

After

Before

Before

Short-term initiative projects included the conversion of an abandoned road into a bioretention pond (above), the conversion of parking and sidewalks into rain gardens (right) and the expansion of an existing detention basin.

After

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Paying homage to the Atlanta Braves while providing stormwater retention and green infrastructure, the proposed Atlanta Fulton County Wet Pond at Turner Field will include jogging trails, walkways, recreation areas and an elevated amphitheatre for outdoor entertainment.

Turner Field

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Starting with an emergency call to action, GS&P’s sustainable short-, medium- and long-term design solutions will not only take the pressure off overwhelmed municipal drainage systems, but will ultimately increase their capacity, bringing much needed flood relief to residents of southeast Atlanta communities.

“This phased initiative isn’t just about eliminating flooding issues,” says Barlow, “it’s also about enhancing the overall quality of life for these residents. The green infrastructure, sustainability and improved water quality generated by this project is going to have an incredibly positive socioeconomic impact on an area that is targeted for future development and growth.”▪

C uster A v e n ue C S O R elief P r o ject

storage vaults for the combined sewer. Designed to manage excess stormwater runoff in developed areas, the implementation of these high-volume, subterranean storage vessels is another BMP that will help mitigate flooding while reducing erosion in rivers and streams.

Yet another innovative long-term design solution involves the former home of the Atlanta Braves.

“The site where the AtlantaFulton County Stadium once stood is now parking lot space for Turner Field,” explains Haney. “It’s of incredible historical significance because the Atlanta Braves played there for 30 years, and it’s the spot where Hank Aaron hit his 715th homerun.

“The 65 acres of parking lots have a tremendous amount of stormwater runoff. So, our initiative is to preserve the historical value of the location, while replacing a portion of that area with an urban park and a

stormwater detention pond that will capture, detain and gradually release significant amounts of runoff.”

Paying homage to the Braves while providing stormwater retention and green infrastructure, the proposed Atlanta Fulton County Wet Pond will include jogging trails, walkways, recreation areas and an elevated amphitheatre for outdoor entertainment.

“Along with relieving flooding issues, the wet pond/urban park concept provides a green space where people can exercise, socialize and play,” says Barlow. “Currently, there’s no recreational space near the stadium because it’s all paved parking lots. People still tailgate in this area, but with this option, the general public would be encouraged to spend a lot more time there before the game.”

A HEALING OASIS Egyptian American Medical Center

A

desert plateau divided by the Nile valley, Egypt stands as one of the most populous countries in northeast Africa and the Middle East.

Recognizing the immense potential of Egypt’s emerging healthcare market, American Hospital Management Company (AHMC) set its sights on building a world-class medical center just outside of Cairo.

“The facility would be located approximately seven miles from the world-renowned Pyramids at Giza,” says Frank Swaans, GS&P senior healthcare planner. “GS&P was asked to develop preliminary design concepts to be used for marketing the project to potential investors. Ash Ewida, an Egyptian physician who partnered with AHMC for the project, had the vision for this ultra-modern healthcare facility that also reflects the Egyptian region and culture.”

Client

Egyptian American Medical Center

Location

6th of October City, Egypt

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture

team PIC Frank Swaans, AIA, EDAC, ACHA, FHFI, LEED AP

PM David J. Stewart, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PD Gregory J. Wieland, AIA PC Paul Legan

Chris Hoal

Tasked with designing a leading-edge medical facility that responds to the cultural and historic significance of the region, the GS&P team began exploring design solutions that would not only allow the Egyptian American Medical Center to reflect ancient and modern Egyptian architectural influences, but also withstand the effects of an unforgiving desert environment.

“Satellite views of this region reveal a harsh, desolate climate, with little water and almost no relief from the sun, so it was especially important to give the facility the feeling of a healing oasis,” says Greg Wieland, GS&P design principal. “As we began developing the design concept of a building in the desert, we looked at the remnants of ancient buildings—such as the pyramids—that had managed to survive for centuries.

“It may sound a little unusual, but what we liked about those structures was the deterioration and erosion caused by the desert winds and sun,

which had sculpted the buildings into new forms. So we thought it would be interesting to shape the mass of the building to appear as if it had been weathered over time by wind and sand. To accomplish this look, the building developed into a fragmented series of forms to represent the wearing-away erosion effect, which ultimately created the overall form, and resulted in an open space in the center of the composition for the building’s oasis-like main entry.”

Various solar shading techniques were researched and modeled in digital 3-D to assess their physical appearance, as well as their ability to shade outdoor and indoor spaces from the desert sun.

“The result of our research is an integrated solar shade that acts like a supersized, energy-saving umbrella that is completely separate and extends over the entire complex,” says Wieland. “We also elevated the entire structure above the desert floor to

Design Strategy Diagrams 1. A rectangular block is shaped by the constraints of the site boundaries.

1

2. The ends are cut at angles associated with sun paths.

The form is split in the middle to create space for the oasis entry sequence.

3. The form is raised on a plinth, further cuts are made to enforce the eroded effect, and a connection is made with a bridge over the courtyard.

Various shading techniques were researched and modeled in digital 3-D to assess their physical appearance and ability to shade the building from the desert sun.

2

4. Patient towers appear, and the forms are eroded further.

5. The final piece is an integrated solar shade which covers the entry courtyard ‘oasis.’

3 enable shaded parking below, and to create a stronger profile image as seen from the highway.

“The main access driveway to the building is ramped, leading to the entrance’s oasis-like courtyard that features the main hospital and MOB visitor drop-off areas. We wanted there to be an arrival sequence that led to the grand entry courtyard, so as you arrive onto the property, you see the building evolve in front of you.

You then turn into this shaded oasis and are greeted by water fountains and the lush greenery of trees and plants. The materials we chose for the courtyard surfaces and lobby have a shiny, wet appearance, which is a complete contrast to the outside environment, and reinforces the oasis in the desert concept.”

“We also wanted to design a building that looked like it belonged in this part of the world,” adds GS&P senior architect David Stewart. “The palette that we used—all the colors

and materials—had to be very contextual, so when you look at the building you know that it’s not in Chicago or China—you can tell it’s in Egypt, and it looks like it fits perfectly there. Even having the integrated solar shade recognizes the Middle East location.”

In addition to responding to ancient Egyptian architectural influences, the client sought a design that reflected the culture of the region.

“The client had also asked for an Islamic-type building,” says Swaans.

“So we incorporated motifs inherent to the Islamic culture into the design.

Some of those shapes and forms were used in the building’s walls and façade. In some places they will affect how light filters into the building.”

“We’ve also integrated a lot of modern details into the design,” adds GS&P project team member Paul Legan. “Some of the intricate details and the use of glass hint toward the fact that this is a modern, technologically advanced facility.”

4

5

Satellite views of this region reveal a harsh, desolate climate, with little water and almost no relief from the sun, so it was especially important to give the facility the feeling of a healing oasis. —Greg Wieland

A World-Class Medical Destination Geared toward a growing medical tourism market, the proposed 40,000-square-meter, five-story medical center has been designed to include a full-service, 182-bed hospital; a 100-physician medical office building; a comprehensive cancer center; a spa/wellness center; and a conference/education center.

Additionally, the design team programed the facility to include 138 private patient rooms, seven stateof-the-art operating suites, a 20room emergency department and a Level IIIB neonatal intensive care unit.

“As a collaborative EgyptianAmerican venture, the EAMC has the opportunity to build a healthcare brand both locally and globally,” says Swaans. “We’ve designed a world-class medical destination—well equipped for a wide variety of medical services and procedures—that will meet the medical and technological needs of both local and international markets.

“The EAMC plans to give physicians an opportunity for part ownership in this facility, which is rare in Egypt. It’s set to attract a lot of top-tier physicians, along with patients who typically pursue healthcare outside of Egyptian borders. I believe many Americans will seek out the hospital because it will offer competitively priced and high-quality healthcare, and they’ll receive the same level of care they’d get in a top U.S. hospital.

Faรงade shading techniques were also studied in digital 3-D. The face of the building resembles a solid material that has been weathered over time by wind and sun. Inset panels and windows create a sense of depth and solidity.

An early massing study with stepped terraces was inspired by the Egyptian pyramids.

If you go to just any hospital in Cairo, you may not get that level of quality care. So there will be quality measures in place that patients will be able to count on. That’s something that expatriates, medical tourists or even diplomats would look for.”

“You have to have a world-class facility in order to attract world-class physicians,” adds Stewart. “If you don’t have those top-tier physicians, it’s going to be extremely hard to attract patients. So it really is all tied together.

“Egypt has obviously gone through a lot of political unrest in recent times, but the flipside of that is there is a lot of opportunity in the country—and the EAMC is one of those opportunities. Even though there are some major changes taking place, people are still looking to invest there. And they’re looking to build.”

Intriguing, eye-catching and bold, the Egyptian American Medical Center has been designed to enhance the quality of patient care and serve the needs of clinical staff. Inspired by ancient Egyptian architecture, GS&P’s iconic design enables a healing environment within a technologically advanced medical facility.

“With this preliminary design concept, the ultimate goal was planning and design that brings together technology and art, creating a cuttingedge healthcare facility,” says Swaans.

“I truly believe we’ve designed a facility that honors the EAMC’s mission to deliver high-quality healthcare to as many people as they can reach.”▪

Sleek, clean and

Inspired groninger USA Headquarters and Manufacturing/Distribution Facility

Client

groninger USA L.L.C.

Location

Charlotte, North Carolina

Market

Corporate + Urban Design

Services

Architecture Interior Design Planning

team PIC, Pm David L. King, AIA, NCARB PP Scott J. Swanson, CDT, AIA, LEED AP PC Matthew B. Amos ID Julie D. Roquemore, IIDA, LEED AP

hen groninger—a world leader in the manufacture of filling and packing machinery for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries—decided to build a new North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company wanted it to clearly reflect its identity as a German manufacturer in the United States.

The manufacturing giant desired an American hub that not only was visually consistent with its European image, but which also makes a statement to its American clients that groninger is fully committed to the North American market. “groninger saw the new headquarters as a front door to the United States,” says Scott Swanson, GS&P project architect. “The company envisioned a facility that would welcome its German workforce while

showcasing its abilities to current and prospective clients. Their former Charlotte facility was in a leased space that was typical of what you see in many industrial parks across America.

It was very utilitarian and had no branding, aside from a small green sign on the front of the building that said ‘groninger.’ There was very little natural light and no quality views to the exterior. The facility wasn’t at all in keeping with the company’s image abroad, and groninger wanted a new U.S. base that was more in line with its German facilities.

“Scott Wilson, a former employee of GS&P, was the project designer and set the overall concept for the new headquarters. We were awarded the project through Scott, who shortly thereafter accepted a position as the project executive for the builder— CoxSchepp Group. It ended up working well because the client was able to benefit from a true team approach.”

The current groninger world headquarters, located in Crailsheim, Germany, is a hard-coat stucco and metal panel building with a glazed aluminum curtain wall that features a modern design.

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The previous Charlotte, North Carolina, location was housed in a space that was typical of many industrial parks found all over America, but was not consistent with groninger’s international image.

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

CONFERENCE ROOM

LOBBY ELEVATOR LOBBY OFFICES

FUTURE EXPANSION

MANAGEMENT

Employing American Design Solutions ASSEMBLY

BREAK ROOM

SHOWROOM

ASSEMBLY

MILLS/LATHES FUTURE EXPANSION

MILLS/LATHES

BREAK AREA

ENGINEERING

MANUFACTURING

After closely studying groninger’s European facilities, including the company’s new headquarters in Crailsheim, Germany, the GS&P team began developing American design solutions to create a facility that appeared, felt and performed like its German counterparts. Not only would the new building host groninger’s U.S. headquarters, but also its expanded engineering, production and assembly areas, as well as an in-house training center and state-of-the-art showroom.

“The design team was challenged to meet the needs of a European enterprise,” reflects Swanson, “and the first place we started was with the company’s image. We knew we had to design a building that its employees would immediately recognize from the street. It was also extremely important to the company that a German employee felt completely at home in this facility. So we worked closely with executives to develop design solutions that not only met groninger’s architectural preferences, but also allowed for American construction practices to be followed, which would greatly improve the overall quality and efficiency.”

GS&P’s design solutions included the use of architectural pre-cast concrete for the building’s façade as opposed to hard-coat stucco. Metal shading devices, a curtain wall entry and other distinguishing components were used to give the facility’s exterior the distinctive appearance groninger desired, while providing higher quality and faster construction at a lower cost.

QUALITY

SMALL CONFERENCE

BREAK AREA CONFERENCE ROOM

SHOWROOM MANUFACTURING

FIRST FLOOR PLAN QUALITY

ELEVATOR LOBBY

OFFICES

MANAGEMENT

LOBBY

“The traditional German way to build this type of facility is to construct a masonry building and then cover it in hard-coat stucco,” explains Swanson. “But that has long-term maintenance implications. By using pre-cast wall panels—which have a couple of inches of insulation between the pre-cast concrete—we were able to give groninger an energy-efficient building that will stand the test of time. And that’s a huge advantage over what would have been constructed in Germany.

BREAK ROOM

ENGINEERING

SMALL CONFERENCE

“Another element that groninger appreciated was the fact that we provided a low-slope roof for the facility. From an overall maintenance and energy standpoint, we’ve given them a better solution that’s far more economical. We also paid close attention to height and width, and keeping things in the right shape when it came to the proportions of the building. When you put all of these elements together and compare the U.S. headquarters to groninger’s German facilities, it fits right in. You could easily take out one of its European buildings and replace it with ours, and you really wouldn’t know the difference.”

Modern materials and simple finishes reflective of the manufacturing equipment were incorporated into the lobby.

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A connection to its machinery was a major design trait that groninger wanted.� —Julie Roquemore

Reflecting the Brand adds GS&P senior interior designer Julie Roquemore. “We were challenged in our detailing to use a lot of similar materials, and to do it in a modern, crisp way—just like their machines are designed. The use of stainless steel, aluminum and glass—along with a high-contrast color scheme—distinctly relates to groninger’s machineries and the company’s European aesthetic.”

Reflecting its cutting-edge equipment, groninger USA’s interiors include a dramatic two-story glass lobby that provides a visual connection to the various departments and allows employees to experience views to the exterior from different vantage points within the building. The striking lobby

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Of utmost importance to the German machinery maker was that the new headquarters reflect who they are and what they do. As engineers of precise equipment and tools, one of groninger’s key objectives was to design a building that featured fine detailing and utilized quality materials in a contemporary style. To achieve this, the design team carefully studied the machines the company manufactures and developed a concept that reflected the polish and precision of groninger’s machinery throughout the facility’s interiors.

“A connection to its machinery was a major design trait that groninger wanted to bring from Germany into the interior of this building,”

gr o n i n ger U S A H eadquarters a n d M a n ufacturi n g / D istributi o n F acility

The striking lobby space also features a custom display wall that highlights pharmaceutical and cosmetic products that are the end result of groninger’s manufacturing process.

space also features a custom display wall that highlights pharmaceutical and cosmetic products that are the end result of groninger’s manufacturing process. The building’s open office area includes an exposed structural deck and distinctive floating acoustical ceiling elements. Terrazzo floor coverings, textured wall coverings, matte and metallic paint, and clear glass doors that lead into the office areas provide a clean aesthetic that complements the building’s architectural details. To allow glare-free, natural light to permeate the building, clerestory windows were placed throughout the facility.

Located on the building’s first floor, a state-of-the-art showroom allows groninger to showcase the high-tech machines it manufactures.

The unique display area can be used for test setups or to present the company’s products to prospective clients.

“The showroom is finished out like an industrial space,” says Swanson. “Instead of taking clients onto the manufacturing floor and interrupting operations, groninger can show a customer a new product and demonstrate how it works in the showroom. It also serves as a central space for public events. Because it’s situated between the manufacturing and office spaces, we incorporated a large steel rollup door that opens into the manufacturing space so you can easily transport a machine from the floor to the showroom.”

Above: The engineering, production and assembly spaces incorporate daylighting strategies to stimulate creativity, influence employee morale and reduce energy costs.

Clerestory windows provide abundant natural light while ensuring privacy and security.

Left: In addition to providing the necessary production and distribution spaces, the design team provided a pleasant environment promoting the creativity, productivity and collaboration necessary for innovative and problem-free solutions.

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A view onto the balcony from the second floor breakroom. groninger’s company philosophy states that its most important commitment is to every employee of the company. Spaces throughout the facility support this commitment.

It strikes quite a contrast to the previous facility.”

—Scott Swanson

A Pleasant and collaborative Environment functions and the manufacturing functions. It strikes quite a contrast to the previous facility, which only had a small window that visually connected those two areas. In this building, the connection is really prominent.”

Also augmenting the workerfriendly environment, generous breakrooms and a second-floor balcony give employees a place to relax during the day. Fostering collaboration as well as education, conference rooms and an in-house training room were also incorporated into the design.

To maintain interior climate control, the design team used energyefficient glazing throughout the facility, utilizing different types of glass according to the building’s elevation.

“The north elevation of the building has a lot of windows that are situated high up in the wall,” says

Swanson. “In this area we were able to use clear, uncoated glass and let 100 percent of the light come through because there’s no direct sunlight reaching that side of the building.

However, we used extremely highperformance glass on the building’s west and south elevations, which are exposed to the direct sun. By using the highest-performing solar heat glazing available, the facility’s temperature remains very comfortable.

“The mechanical systems in the new building are also a huge upgrade from the previous facility. The offices, showroom and displays all have their own thermostats, while the manufacturing side has its own unit. Being in Charlotte, cooling is tremendously important, and the new systems we’ve incorporated into the building not only make it comfortable but also extremely energy-efficient.”

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Just outside the open office area, the training room provides a dedicated space to help employees learn new skills and improve work productivity.

gr o n i n ger U S A H eadquarters a n d M a n ufacturi n g / D istributi o n F acility

In addition to providing the necessary office, production and distribution spaces, one of groninger’s primary goals was to provide a pleasant environment for its employees that promotes creativity, productivity and collaboration. GS&P’s innovative design accomplished this fundamental objective in a number of ways, which included providing all workers with access to natural light and exterior vistas, along with views that connect the manufacturing space to the office workspaces.

“It was extremely important to groninger that the bond between its research/design and engineering/ production teams be strengthened by creating a visual connection between the office and manufacturing areas,” says Swanson. “The building is almost L-shaped, and wherever we had the opportunity, we created large openings between the office

Views from the second floor into the open office area and outdoors (above), and from the office space into the manufacturing area (right).

Featuring 15,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of manufacturing and distribution space, groninger’s U.S. headquarters reflects the company’s European image via a modern aesthetic that’s uniquely inspired by the high-precision equipment the company manufactures.

The leading-edge facility also demonstrates that American designers and contractors are more than able to meet the needs of a multifaceted European operation.

“The design of groninger’s new headquarters truly speaks to the company’s European roots and manufacturing focus, says Swanson.

“We worked hard to design a space that’s impressive to clients, inspiring to employees and beneficial to the company’s services and operations.”

“At the end of the day, we desired a very synergistic relationship between the client, the builder and the design firm—and that’s exactly what we achieved,” adds Scott Wilson, vice president at CoxSchepp Group and original designer of the project.

“The internal design team—which I was a part of at that time—worked to define and distill the quintessential essence of a German firm. We came together and succinctly found the right design approach—not only ergonomically, but also from a sense of finishes and the personality of the client. The design is extremely sensitive to a German employee’s aesthetic sensibilities and work environment, and, according to our client, it made transitions from Germany to the United States very easy.”

“The expansion of our U.S. headquarters helps us provide better service, products and consulting both to current customers and new customers,” says Lothar Burger, managing director of groninger USA. “GS&P worked with us to understand what we do, who we are and the type of environment we need to support our clients, goals and growing staff. Our new headquarters is the ideal space to help groninger move into the future, further develop our services and grow our North American presence.”▪

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The Small Hospital

Future

of the

KAISER PERMANENTE: Small hospital, big idea design competition

Client

Kaiser Permanente

Location

Lancaster, California

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture Interior Design Programming Master Planning Site Planning Strategic Planning Sustainability Design

team PIC, PM Robert A. (Skip) Yauger, AIA, LEED AP

PD James R. Kolb, AIA, LEED AP ID Penny J. Houchens, IIDA, LEED AP PP Joseph C. Bucci, AIA

The lobby concourse features 32 vertical feet of glass along the Arroyo Park.

PC, PD Michael L. Compton, LEED AP BD+C

ID Carolyn Fleetwood Blake, IIDA, LEED AP

ID Stephanie D. Irwin, LEED ID+C PC Christopher Coombs

Eddy C. Alonso, AIA Sheila Bosch, Ph.D., EDAC, LEED AP Paul V. Braun, AIA, EDAC WenLing Chiu, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP Jill DeMarotta, EDAC, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C 88

J. Brent Hughes, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C

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David McMullin, P.E., LEED AP Derek Mott, AIA, LEED AP David J. Stewart, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Marc A. Suavé, LEAN Frank Swaans, AIA, EDAC, ACHA, FHFI, LEED AP

Gregory J. Wieland, AIA Elisa Worden-Kirouac, IIDA, EDAC, LEED AP

AWARDS

2013 Best Unbuilt - Annual Design Awards - IIDA North Florida Chapter 2012 Merit Award - Unbuilt Category AIA Jacksonville

K

aiser Permanente, a leading U.S. healthcare provider and not-for-profit health plan, has been operating large medical facilities successfully for more than half a century. Recognizing that a smaller hospital could help support access to care in certain geographic areas, the healthcare organization launched a “Small Hospital, Big Idea” design competition, inviting multidisciplinary thinkers from the United States and around the globe to conceptually design a small, eco-conscious, patient- and family-focused hospital that would revolutionize the way the organization delivers healthcare.

GS&P’s innovative design proposal—a 96-bed, 225,076-square-foot hospital and accompanying medical office buildings—aimed to conceptualize a groundbreaking small hospital

of the future that could overcome the unique challenges of a small market, while delivering exceptional, effective and convenient healthcare.

“Kaiser Permanente’s integrated model of healthcare often uses larger hospitals with nearby specialty and primary care offices to deliver coordinated care and services to its members,” explains GS&P principalin-charge and senior project manager Skip Yauger. “However, it was moving into markets where the population growth didn’t support that structure.

So it sought a prototype for a small hospital that was much more integrated into the community, and could serve members in outlying areas.”

Keeping both its members and the environment in mind, Kaiser Permanente not only called for a design that provided a patient-centered,

healing atmosphere, but also one with a near-zero environmental impact and access to the latest technology.

“We were charged with designing the 100-bed hospital of the future, which was quite different for Kaiser Permanente—and our approach was different, too,” adds GS&P project team member Michael Compton.

“We typically have a program and make all the components fit the project. We then generate a narrative for how the user experiences that program after it’s established. With this project, we decided to diagram the approach spatially from the patient’s perspective. To understand what that might look like, we created a fictional patient and asked ourselves what that person may experience on a typical day within this particular

Kaiser Permanente campus. So the project evolved out of what we understood the patient experience to be. And that quite literally drove every decision we made.”

Planned hypothetically for a site in Lancaster, California—which is situated in the Antelope Valley of the western Mojave Desert—the proposed small hospital would be situated in a mostly flat location covered with low desert vegetation.

Centered on several key design drivers, the GS&P team began developing a design concept that not only worked with the topography of the location, but also allowed the hospital prototype’s buildings and services to be located in urban, suburban or rural environments.

“We recognized the need to reach beyond the Kaiser Permanente

template hospital and search for innovation,” says GS&P senior designer Jim Kolb. “Central to our design approach was the understanding that a small hospital is not merely a small version of a large hospital—it has to operate in a fundamentally different manner to be economically viable. So our design solution focused on a number of key sectors of a small hospital.”

The principal design drivers measured in the competition included: technology innovation; flexibility and adaptability; sustainability; efficiency; and the environment of care. The design team evaluated each driver relative to quality, patient safety and costs, and devised a flexible, componentbased design solution that could be adapted to any site.

FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY Guided by the proposed location, the design team grouped the hospital and medical office buildings around a dry streambed known as an arroyo, which runs through the site. Dubbed the Arroyo Park by the team, this central space offers the hospital’s main public areas expansive views of nature. The building placement and landscape design shelter the Arroyo Park from the desert sun and wind, giving patients, family and staff—as well as the community—the opportunity to enjoy outdoor dining, exercise and community events such as local farmers markets and live performances.

“Kaiser Permanente stressed environmental

sustainability as part of the competition,” says Compton.

“Our design proposal—which features this central green space that runs between the hospital and all the medical outpatient buildings—helps achieve this by bringing healthy members to the campus before they ever have the need to see a physician.”

Fundamental elements of GS&P’s proposed small hospital of the future were designed as components that allow for incremental growth and application to other sites.

For example, a seven-room strategy developed by the team demonstrated that 90 percent of all clinical activities could be accommodated through seven distinct room modules. These

encompassed: universal care; standardized patient room; large patient room; interventional; small diagnostics; large diagnostics; and administrative office.

On the hospital’s first floor, a revolutionary universal care suite features emergent; urgent; non-urgent; observation; direct admissions; PAT; electrocardiogram; PFT; outpa-

changes throughout the day. These innovative layouts ultimately reduce required full-time equivalent staff to achieve operational cost savings.

“One of the architect’s greatest strengths is the ability to help clients create efficiencies that can reduce staff and operational costs,” says Kolb. “Through this design strategy, we were able to reduce staffing by 10 percent.”

Patient floors were designed to accommodate six large patient rooms and 18 typical patient rooms. The large rooms can be used for rehab, bariatric, LDRP and extremely acute CCU. The typical rooms all meet the requirements for CCU, but can also be used for —Jim Kolb med/surg. This allows the tient lab draw; and imaging services. units to be reassigned without conThis single department maximizes struction. All patient rooms feature cross-utilization opportunities and a nurse substation with observation allows scheduled procedures to be windows and two sets of clean and coordinated with predictable daily supply rooms, which make for an ED surges. The first floor plan also average travel distance of 39 feet. accommodates a rapid assessment In addition, internal departmental suite in the ED that reduces patientboundaries were reduced to help hospital staff maximize efficiency to-doctor time.

Similar economies were created through a one-team approach. Flex in the interventional platform on zones between key rooms were inthe second floor, which combines corporated into the design to permit the perioperative suite with the first future renovation and adaptation, floor patient tower. On this floor, the while expansion was planned to pre-op and PACU are essentially one the north and west, allowing the large space, allowing rooms (and hospital to be sized in 48-, 96- and staff) to be used for multiple stages 192-bed increments. of prep and recovery as demand

One of the architect’s greatest strengths is the ability to help clients create efficiencies that can reduce operational costs.

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Left: The outpatient lobby shows the variety of seating intended to accommodate a wide range of needs.

Below: The Arroyo Park offers expansive views of nature, and provides opportunity for outdoor exercise, dining and community events like farmers markets and live music.

SUSTAINABILITY Based on a solid understanding of Kaiser Permanente’s goals, GS&P’s primary sustainability strategies for the project included achieving an energy use intensity of 100, providing on-site power generation, reducing life-cycle costs and balancing human needs with those of the environment.

Since energy efficiency begins with the site design, the team oriented the hospital and medical office buildings with their long axes to the north and south, reducing their exposure to the harsh morning and afternoon sun. The placement of the buildings around the central Arroyo Park also protects it from the prevailing desert winds.

Parking lots were designed to have 300,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels to collect solar energy and shade the pavement, reducing the heat island effect and generating 75 percent of the hospital’s annual energy use. Wind turbines located

in the northeast corner of the site produce the remaining 25 percent.

Strategies such as air-handling zones based on perimeter exposure, radiant ceiling panels and using run-around heat recovery coils at air-handling units make the building extremely energy efficient. The desert location of the site permits the use of solar hot water collection during the day and chilled water collection at night, and a central energy plant—larger than

that of a typical hospital—houses some of the innovative technology components needed to achieve a carbon-neutral facility.

“This is the first carbon-neutral campus that we’ve designed for a domestic project,” says Compton. “This essentially means that the power is completely generated on-site, and the campus isn’t pulling power from a utility grid, which minimizes the hospital’s environmental footprint.”

Left: Trees, tensile structures and trellises shade the site, which receives more than 300 days of sunshine per year.

Left: Photovoltaic panels shade parking, reduce the heat island effect and generate 75 percent of the hospital’s energy. The additional 25 percent is provided by wind turbines. Above: Buildings are arranged around the Arroyo Park to protect it from prevailing winds.

The power is completely generated on-site, which minimizes the hospital’s environmental footprint.

—Michael Compton

ENVIRONMENT OF CARE AND TECHNOLOGY

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In order to improve patient safety and satisfaction while also cutting costs, two of the project’s key design drivers included providing the best possible environment of care while incorporating the latest in technology.

“Kaiser Permanente was looking for fresh ideas on how technology and the environment of care could reshape its current medical delivery infrastructure,” says Kolb. “So we started to think about some of the things we’ve always wanted to do but never could. This project was all about innovation, and our approach was multiple big ideas instead of just the one.”

One of those big ideas came in the form of the myKaiser app.

Available in the hospital’s high-tech rooms, the application’s interface allows patients to adjust room temperature, switch television channels and change the color of the room’s LED lighting. An interactive wall lets

them display their own artwork or family photos, as well as engage in Skype consultations with a physician.

“Patients can often feel vulnerable, and that they’ve lost a certain degree of control when they go into a hospital environment,” says Penny Houchens, GS&P healthcare interior designer. “Our objective was to give them some sense of control. Our hospital design supports the idea of patients taking part in their own healthcare. By empowering patients in the hospital and making them active partners with their care providers, they’ll participate more readily in their care and recovery, and this will hopefully improve overall health outcomes.”

Yet another unique technological innovation locates micro-pneumatic tube stations at the bedside in each patient room. This, in combination with an automated medication dispensing system (robotic pharmacy),

Above: The inpatient ceiling design is inspired by a topographical map of the area. Aluminum inserts in the floors follow the same flowing lines.

can eliminate six to eight nurse trips to the medication room per patient per day. The time saved can be spent at the patient’s side, reducing falls, lowering the rate of adverse events and improving patient satisfaction scores.

Further enhancing the overall healthcare experience, each patient room is provided with a generous family zone to encourage visitors.

Glove boxes, sharps containers and other clinical clutter are easily

accessible to staff, but otherwise hidden from view. Wider doorways, handrails and locating the toilet near the bed all reduce the risk of falls.

Standardization around the seven room types offers maximum flexibility for room utilization in the short-term, and cost-efficient reconfiguration over the long-term.

Light wells and vegetated walls throughout the hospital bring natural light and views of nature to 90 percent of patient areas. Adjacent to light wells, nursing unit floors accommodate intensive, progressive and acute-care patients. The collaborative nurse station in the patient tower also provides staff with an airy and bright work environment.

“With every project we work on, we tend to refine the concepts of evidence-based design and push them a little further,” says GS&P interior designer Carolyn Blake.

“With this project, we had a landscape that featured boulders, cottonwoods and native plants to set the tone, which is very powerful and also very healing. So the interior design is intentionally a little more minimal because it’s focusing your attention to nature, which everyone has access to through the innovative use of glazing.”

“All of the shapes and motifs that we used were heavily influenced by the desert environment,” adds Stephanie Irwin, GS&P interior

designer. “Natural materials and a mostly neutral palette with accents of bright colors relate the interior of the building to the surrounding landscape.”

Named a top-three finalist in Kaiser Permanente’s first-ever design competition, GS&P’s revolutionary small hospital concept provides an agile facility that can meet future changes, minimize environmental impacts, and improve patient health outcomes at a lower operating cost than larger Kaiser Permanente facilities.

“Our small hospital design was truly built on big ideas,” says Yauger.

“We called on staff members in our offices across the country to challenge the current ways of thinking about successful healthcare design and delivery. Our final product uses cutting-edge technology to optimize and personalize every aspect of patient care, and provides a snapshot of the boundless potential for healthcare in the future.”▪

Left: Light wells throughout the building give access to daylight for patients, families and staff. Below: An interactive wall allows patients to personalize their space with family photos, artwork, and temperature and lighting controls.

Atlanta’s

Front Door to the World

Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Client

City of Atlanta Department of Aviation Location

Atlanta, Georgia Market

Aviation

Services

Architecture Building Information Modeling Civil Engineering Construction Administration Environmental Graphic Design Interior Design Landscape Architecture Mechanical Engineering Structural Engineering Wayfinding Analysis, Planning, Design and Implementation team PIC Alan J. Pramuk, P.E., C.M. PM Jacob P. Wohlgemuth, AIA PP Eric Bearden, AIA PP John David Chesak, P.E. PP James R. Harding, SEGD PP Tim L. Hudson PP Terence S. Mulvaney, RLA, CLARB PP Julia Bradley Rayfield, CID, IIDA PP Jon L. Perry, P.E. PD Kevin K. S. Kim, AIA PD Jeffrey W. Kuhnhenn, AIA, LEED AP PD Samuel Chunfu Lin PD Wilson P. Rayfield Jr., AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

Matthew B. Amos Kenneth H. Beeler, P.G. Roger Dale Bybee, P.E. Ben Goebel, AIA Kevin W. Hopkins, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C 98

John Hopper Sejin Kim, Associate AIA, LEED AP

SHOWCASE SIX

Todd P. Martin, AIA Louis Medcalf, FCSI, CCS Dennis L. Meikrantz Ryan R. Rohe, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Tim A. Rucker Amanda Slack, LEED AP Eric Sweet, CID, IIDA Awards

2013 “Atlanta Business Chronicle” Best in Design - Best in Atlanta Real Estate 2013 AIA Richmond Chapter Merit Winner 2013 American Graphic Design & Advertising 28 2012 ULI Atlanta Excellence in Development Award

espite perennially being the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) was still experiencing significant growth and found itself in need of a new international terminal that would increase the airport’s capacity well into the 21st century. In 2000, the City of Atlanta and ATL announced plans to move forward with a capital development program that included a new international terminal and concourse. Slated for development on the airport’s east side, the new addition would connect to the existing international terminal and concourse, reducing demand on airport facilities and creating a leading-edge, 40-gate international air travel complex.

As part of a joint venture effort with Duckett Design Group known as Atlanta Gateway Designers (AGD), GS&P was selected to provide architecture and engineering services for the new $1.4 billion, five-level, 12-gate, 1.2 million-square-foot international terminal and connecting Concourse F. The team’s scope of work would also include a 1,300-space parking garage, a comprehensive wayfinding and signage program, and an extension of the underground connector tunnel to the new terminal and concourse.

“The City of Atlanta Department of Aviation desired a new international terminal that would serve as a timeless gateway to Atlanta and to the world,” says Al Pramuk, GS&P’s director of aviation. “GS&P has had an on-call contract with the City of Atlanta since 2003, and we were assigned to the international terminal project as a part of the joint venture with AGD in the fall of 2006.”

“The airport had an existing 28-gate international complex, and the goal was to expand that into a 40-gate complex, with the new international terminal serving as a second front door to the airport,” explains Jay Wohlgemuth, GS&P’s director of terminal programming and senior project manager. “We were tasked with designing the terminal as a stand-alone station that connected to the existing infrastructure of ATL via the same underground connector system.”

A gateway to approximately 80 international destinations in 50 countries, and more than 150 U.S. cities, the new international passenger terminal would include: 12 gates on the new Concourse F; separate levels for arrivals and departures; a new elevated roadway network; seven security checkpoint lanes for international departing passengers and six security recheck lanes for domestic connecting passengers; an inline baggage screening system; a new U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection station; 85 ticketing counters; and 65 self-serve check-in kiosks.

In addition to connecting the new facility with the existing international terminal and Concourse E, key project goals encompassed: eliminating the baggage recheck process for Atlanta-bound international travelers; providing clear and simplified wayfinding; designing the building to meet LEED Silver requirements; keeping systems and services fully functional during construction; and producing the design in multiple packages on a fast-track schedule, and on a very tight budget.

A

B

C

D

E F

Tunnel New International Terminal (F) The tunnel connecting Concourse E to the new Concourse F was constructed more than 40 feet below an active taxiway.

intensely coordinated effort to avoid compromising the existing structure.

It meant many sleepless nights for the structural engineers, who were using extremely sensitive monitoring equipment to check for any movement of the building.

“Because of the fragile nature of the operation, parts of the tunnel had to be hand-excavated. This was critical in terms of the temporary bracing that was put in until permanent retaining walls and other structures could be poured and hardened. It was also an exceptionally tight area, and we had to move a lot of material without jeopardizing the existing structure.”

Throughout this often daunting phase of the project, Concourse E remained fully functional, and existing services—such as lighting, communications, glycol, fuel, power and water—were maintained.

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Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the $1.4 billion project was connecting the new terminal/ Concourse F to the existing Concourse E via an extension of the airport’s underground connector tunnel system (which houses ATL’s automated people mover known as the Plane Train). To be constructed more than 40 feet below an extremely active area of the airport, the design team had to exercise the utmost caution.

“There was a considerable amount of tunnel beneath the existing terminal, a section of Concourse E and the airfield,” explains David Chesak, GS&P’s senior structural engineer, “so connecting the two concourses was an incredibly complex process. When you’re excavating with that amount of material under an existing concourse structure—and you have the weight of the aircraft that are parked right next to where you’re excavating—it requires an

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Making a Vital Connection

Intuitive Wayfinding and Landmark Spaces

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In an effort to ease congestion and achieve clear and simplified wayfinding, the design team developed a comprehensive signage and wayfinding program that included main entry identification, roadway, parking garage, curbside and terminal areas.

“One of our primary goals was to ensure that circulation and wayfinding were very intuitive so that arriving, departing and connecting travelers have a good sense of where they are, which is extremely helpful for first-time travelers who are often overwhelmed and stressed,” says Jim Harding, GS&P’s director of environmental graphics.

Inside the ticketing hall, ticketing counters are aligned at a 45-degree angle to force traffic flow in the direction of the security checkpoint.

The sculptural flow of the building’s floor and ceiling patterns also helps move passengers in the right direction. “It’s all very instinctive,” says Harding, “because you’re naturally moving in a consistent direction without making a lot of turns.”

Once international passengers have cleared security, they enter into the new terminal’s two-story transition hall, located on both the departures and mezzanine level and adjacent to the international atrium area.

“The transition hall is the lynchpin for passenger traffic, as two-thirds of departing traffic will be going to another concourse from there,” explains Harding. “The wayfinding is extremely intuitive in this bright, multistory space. You can even see

out to the connecting Concourse E through an enormous window, which gives you a visual perspective of where you’re going if you happen to be departing from an E gate.”

A second major gathering place for departing passengers is the mezzanine level’s airside court, which can be easily accessed from the departure level.

“Because this is an international terminal, there was a strong emphasis placed on concessions,” says Harding, “and the mezzanine level—with its food and beverage concessions and VIP airline clubs—makes the perfect ‘meet-me-at’ point for departing passengers. Because there are clear sight lines to both floors it’s extremely easy to communicate visually from the departure area below.”

“The transition hall is the lynchpin for passenger traffic. It makes the perfect ‘meet-me-at’ point for departing passengers.”

Landmarks featuring artwork and interior gardens provide “meet-meat” spaces. In the transition hall, shopping and dining outlets provide positive distractions for passengers as well as revenue for the airport.

—Jim Harding

Maximizing the Passenger Experience

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Located directly below the airport’s apron/ramp level, the new terminal’s arrivals level includes a pedestrian connector tunnel to Concourse E, federal inspections services, passport control, customs, baggage carousels and an arrivals curb.

“Our first priority with arriving international passengers—who are typically exhausted—was to quickly get them through customs and on to their destination,” says Julia Bradley Rayfield, GS&P’s director of terminal interiors.

“We introduced design elements into these secure passenger corridors that make travelers feel like they’re actually in a daylit space. It’s all about moving people quickly, efficiently and comfortably into the customs hall, which is a multistory, grand arrival hall, and the first space that passengers experience.”

Further streamlining flow and providing a higher level of convenience to international passengers, the design of the new terminal separates connecting and destination travelers, eliminating the requirement for Atlanta-bound international travelers to recheck their luggage after clearing customs.

“Under the old system, when Atlanta-bound international passengers entered Concourse E, they would collect their bags, go through customs and then recheck their luggage to be routed to the main terminal’s baggage claim area,” explains Rayfield.

“This was necessary to keep large baggage off the passenger trains. The new terminal completely eliminates that step. Once a passenger clears CBP, they can claim their bags and then simply proceed to the exit. This is a huge improvement for Atlanta-bound international passengers.”

Natural light and a high, gently curved ceiling greet passengers in the customs and immigration processing hall. The open area features 20 passport-control service counters and electronic signage—programmable for different languages—that designates lanes for both U.S. citizens and foreign travelers.

“It’s all about moving people quickly, efficiently and comfortably through.”

—Julia Bradley Rayfield

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A Timeless Gateway with Room to Grow To create a new and lasting entryway to the city of Atlanta, the team approached the design of the international terminal from the passenger’s perspective. This is especially evident on the departures level where curbside passengers can see through the building’s soaring glass walls to the airfield. In addition to providing a bird’s eye view of the taxiway, the expansive glazing allows natural light to pour into the terminal, making its interior spaces bright and airy.

The terminal’s interior palette, anchored by neutral tans and greys with accents of honey, dark blue and red (reminiscent of Georgia red clay), is designed to remain contemporary and withstand the heavy traffic volumes that come with being the world’s busiest airport.

“Significant thought was put into selecting the most durable and sustainable, yet timeless and aesthetically desirable materials,” explains Wilson Rayfield, GS&P’s director of

terminal architecture. “Since color trends can date a facility very quickly, we used a timeless, neutral palette as both a wayfinding element and a way to designate areas of prominence.”

Creating a pleasant and memorable environment for passengers, the new terminal’s fluid design represents the natural path of travel, which is evidenced in its sleek, curved exterior. This distinctive design note is carried over into the gentle ceiling curves in the airport’s departure and

Calm and spacious waiting spaces with sweeping views help maximize the passenger experience.

arrival levels, and is featured in other areas of the facility as well.

Along with creating a timeless gateway to the city, the team designed the new terminal to accommodate future expansion to support anticipated passenger demand.

“ATL uses two key milestones to assess the capacity of the overall airport,” says Rayfield. “The first milestone is 121-million annual passengers, which the new facility was designed to meet annually.

Depending on the growth of air service in Atlanta, that could probably sustain ATL over the next 15- to 20-year planning period. The next milestone is 153-million annual passengers. When we were designing the new terminal complex, we knew it could be expanded to the east with Concourse G. So even though it’s a stand-alone terminal, it’s designed to support future growth beyond the 20-year planning period.”

A simple layout and clear signage helps passengers navigate the expansive facility.

Despite the requirement to pursue LEED Silver, the design team ultimately helped ATL achieve LEED Gold certification.

Working closely with the City of Atlanta, the Department of Aviation and a multitude of stakeholders, the joint venture team identified a number of primary elements to be incorporated into the new international facility. Among these key design drivers was placing a strong emphasis on environmental consciousness and sustainability.

“The client’s program for the new terminal required that all new construction pursue LEED Silver certification,” says Wohlgemuth, “and that was an important factor in the design and construction because it gave us a baseline that was understood by all stakeholders.”

With this pivotal baseline established, the team moved forward with the mission to create a truly eco-friendly facility.

Since lighting can account for up to half of a building’s energy usage, the design team utilized large windows and skylights on the terminal’s upper floors, helping lower

electricity costs for high-bay lighting areas, reducing heat buildup from light fixtures, and creating a more welcoming and relaxing environment.

Reducing the building’s environmental impact on the surrounding groundwater, a 25,000-cubic-foot cistern (that collects rainwater from the terminal roof and cleanses it through a series of filters before releasing it back into the environment) achieved LEED credits for both stormwater management quality and quantity control. Low-flow fixtures, sensoroperated, self-regulating lavatory faucets and waterless urinals also added to the facility’s sustainability by reducing water usage by more than 50 percent.

Despite the requirement to pursue LEED Silver, the design team ultimately surpassed that goal and helped ATL achieve LEED Gold certification for its new terminal, with an estimated reduction in energy consumption of more than 14 percent from a baseline building.

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LEED-Gold Certified

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Open, functional, efficient and environmentally conscious, the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal serves as Atlanta’s new front door to the world, and offers a new dedicated terminal for international travelers that will maximize the passenger experience for years to come.

The project was completed on time thanks to a fast-tracked schedule that

was divided into multiple delivery packages. Staying on budget proved to be an even greater achievement after funding was reduced by $400 million mid-design due to changing economic conditions.

“We worked tirelessly to complete more than 170 changes to the design and meet the new reduced budget without decreasing square

footage or extending the construction schedule,” says Wohlgemuth.

“More than 80 percent of the design was completed when the budget was reduced, and even though there was a strong focus on cost control, we didn’t allow our design to suffer.”

“The opening of the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal is a major milestone for

Hartsfield-Jackson airport and the city of Atlanta,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announcing the new facility’s opening. “The international terminal will strengthen Atlanta’s position as the capital of the Southeast and a vital global gateway to the United States.”▪

“... a vital global gateway to the United States.”

—Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed

Methodist Olive Branch Hospital

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Client

Methodist Healthcare

Location

Olive Branch, Mississippi

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture BIM Interiors Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Plumbing Engineering Landscaping Signage/Wayfinding/Environmental Graphics Structural Engineering

team

Focal walls provide an opportunity to display work from local artists, creating a connection with the local community.

PIC Gregory A. Gore, AIA, NCARB PM Mack McCoy, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP Pp J. Brent Hughes, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C

Pp David N. Zegley, AIA, LEED AP Pc Andrew Holcomb, LEED AP PD Gregory J. Wieland, AIA PID Jane S. Skelton, NCIDQ, IIDA, EDAC, LEED AP

PID Ashley Roller

Betty J. Crawford John David Chesak, P.E. Glenn T. Davis John D. Brew, P.E.

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Lauren Harris

B

ordered on the north by the Tennessee/Mississippi state line, DeSoto County, Mississippi, has experienced tremendous growth over the past two decades. With nearby central Memphis losing residents at an unprecedented rate, DeSoto County suburbs such as Southaven and Olive Branch have been absorbing these migrating citizens.

In an effort to attract an estimated 47,000 northern Mississippi residents who travel across the state line to receive healthcare services, Memphis-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) elected to build a 100-bed, full-service, faithbased hospital in the growing city of Olive Branch.

TEAM MEMBERS AS EQUAL PARTNERS With the vision of creating a sustainable, state-of-the-art facility for $100 million, MLH chose to implement an integrated project delivery (IPD) model to maximize its limited budget. As part of a unified team, GS&P, Smith Seckman Reid (SSR) and Turner Construction Company were selected to design and build the new hospital. The innovative triparty agreement would require the collaboration of all team members as equal partners, reinventing the traditional owner/architect/contractor relationship. “We had recently teamed with SSR and Turner, utilizing the IPD approach on the design and construction of Middle Tennessee Medical Center,� explains Greg Gore, GS&P

The main lobby monumental stair encourages physical activity, while creating an architectural anchor.

senior architect and principal-incharge on the project. “IPD is essentially an integrated scheduling technique that foresees any outof-sequence work that needs to be completed and allows the team to make early, informed decisions that benefit the project.

“Methodist needed a 100-bed hospital and had $100 million to do the total project. That wasn’t just the construction—that included medical equipment, furniture and everything else that was going into the project.

So we used an IPD tool called component team pricing, sometimes referred to as target value design.

In short, we took the construction portion of the project and broke it down into smaller components —such as interior, exterior, heating and power budgets—and had weekly meetings with the owner

and contractor throughout the design process where we tracked the pricing. If we knew that one of the areas was going over budget, we could start taking actions to pull it back in. That’s how we were able to make sure the tight budget we were working with stayed on track.

“The biggest benefit of this whole process is that, as designers, we know where we stand on the budget at all times and know what we can or can’t design to. And there’s no end-pricing with this tool, so you don’t get to schematics or design development and find that you’re over budget. It’s a much leaner process for everyone involved, but we stayed on top of the budget all the way through the project, and of course that was crucial to the client.”

The use of building information modeling (BIM) also saved project

time and ultimately money by facilitating clash detection prior to the official release of documents.

The implementation of this process—which enables the effective identification, inspection and reporting of interferences in a 3-D project model—allowed all building systems to be seen, analyzed and coordinated prior to working in the field, and enabled multiple disciplines to work together simultaneously.

“A model of the facility was uploaded every week so that the contractor and owner could see the progress,” says David Zegley, GS&P architect and project team member.

“If we added extra square footage to the building, they would know right off the bat that this change had been made, and that subsequently the budget was going to change too.”

186 ground source heat pumps take advantage of the natural heat sink of the earth with 204 geothermal wells to regulate the source water’s temperature.

A Commitment to Sustainability

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Along with adhering to the limited budget, another key objective of the project team was to design an energy-efficient hospital that reflected Methodist Healthcare’s commitment to sustainability.

In order to meet the energy-use goals of the client, the design team implemented energy-saving strategies such as the use of LED lighting; dynamic, photoelectric glass; and leading-edge geothermal heat pumps.

“A key energy efficiency component of the project was the use of the geothermal heat pumps,” says GS&P architect and project team member Brent Hughes. “To get LEED credits, your building often suffers with energy consumption because you’ve opened up a lot of natural daylight that increases the heat load in the building. That in turn increases the stress on the mechanical system, which makes it run less efficiently.

“Since water is seven times more efficient at carrying heat than the traditional air handler, we installed geothermal heat pumps—186—throughout the building, including one in each patient’s room. The pumps take advantage of the natural heat sink of the earth with geothermal wells that regulate the source water’s temperature.”

Utilizing the innovative system throughout the facility is projected to return an annual energy savings of 25 percent, with a five-year return on investment. However, the installation of the eco-friendly pumps presented the GS&P team with a number of unique logistical challenges.

“Each patient room has its own dedicated pump in a shared closet that allows individualized climate control,” explains Zegley, “and it really was quite a challenge getting all those in. We had to determine how

many closets were needed and how big each would need to be. It’s pretty significant when you start putting down 8 × 6 closets every 200 square feet throughout a building.”

“We also put backed, louvered doors on the pumps that create soundproofing because we wanted a quiet building,” adds Jane Skelton, GS&P senior interior designer and project team member. “We then painted the doors to match the walls, so it all blends in and essentially becomes an architectural function.”

“Methodist Healthcare is very willing to innovate and be the first to try something, like adding those

The innovative system is projected to return an annual energy savings of 25 percent, with a five-year ROI.

extremely complex heat pumps,” says Hughes. “This will only be the third time they’ve been used in a U.S. hospital facility.”

Another pioneering decision made by MLH was to glaze the hospital’s two-story lobby with dynamic, photoelectric glass, making Methodist Olive Branch Hospital the first building in the United States to use this revolutionary type of glazing.

“The glass electronically dims at certain set points,” explains Gore, “and has the ability to transition from a clear to a variable tint at the touch of a button, so it gives operators the ability to reduce glare and solar gain.

For instance, if you have a western exposure in the afternoon you can almost make it opaque. But at night you can set it to become clear again.”

Water from geothermal wells

M eth o dist Oli v e B ra n ch H o spital

Shared mechanical closet

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Since water is seven times more efficient at carrying heat, the facility’s geothermal heat pumps will realize tremendous energy savings over the traditional air handler/VAV system.

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Ducts to control air conditioning in each patient room

SHELL SPACE

2 operating rooms

6

ICU Patient rooms

1 Hybrid OR

1

cath lab & support areas

Room to Grow

“We designed a lot of shell space into the facility that allows the hospital to grow within the existing building as its needs change.”

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With growth patterns for small, spaces were designed to have dual greenfield hospitals often difficult purposes, serving as overflow areas to predict, Methodist Healthcare that will reduce wait times and imchallenged the project team to design prove the overall patient experience. a hospital that would easily adapt to Additionally, the connection of the the ever-changing nature of healthhospital’s two main entrances will care. To achieve this, the GS&P team allow for overflow seating and proemployed a design solution that not mote simple wayfinding. only gives the new facility room to “We really tried to be lean within expand, but also provides it with the facility and to make it as flexible remarkable flexibility. as possible by building in inherent “We designed a lot of shell space surge capacities,” explains Gore. “For into the facility that allows the hospiexample, the pre-admission testing tal to grow within the existing buildarea is immediately adjacent to the ing as its needs change,” says Hughes. emergency department, and the pre“If you weren’t admission testing rooms are thinking ahead when designing a also designed as 100-bed hospital, emergency rooms. you would probThat gives treably locate surmendous flex gery on the first capacity when floor with the ED ED volumes are and radiology derunning high partment. But of on nights and course, we were weekends.” planning ahead “On the surfor future expangical floor we sion, and so we have a centralized —Brent Hughes moved surgical prep and recovservices and the ery area for outintensive care unit up to the second patients instead of the surgery, cath floor, which is actually more customlab and endoscopy departments each ary for a larger hospital.” having its own prep and recovery,” adds Hughes. “That just duplicates “As designers, we were charged

by Methodist to develop a master plan a lot of services in the hospital and that incrementally grows the facility,” increases the staff size. So we’ve conadds Gore. “We had to show them solidated prep and recovery into the how you could take the hospital logione concise area that makes it much cally up to 200 beds and beyond. In more lean and efficient for the facility.” the long run, the facility has actually Also augmenting flexibility, the been master planned for 400 beds.” size of the central nurse station was In addition to room for growth, dramatically reduced due to the inflexibility was a major part of corporation of smaller, decentralized Methodist Healthcare’s vision for work alcoves (located outside each the new hospital. To facilitate this patient room) that enhance the nursadaptability, patient areas and clinical ing staff’s interaction with patients.

Working with the Site While the location selected for the new hospital contained more than enough total area for the current program and future expansion, closer investigation revealed two wetlands and a protected blue-line stream that traversed the 40-acre site.

“Methodist’s public outreach doesn’t just extend into the surrounding community—it radiates out into the world.”

—Jane S. Skelton

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These unexpected site limitations were to have an enormous impact on the design of the building, affecting its location, orientation, façade and landscaping strategy.

“The detection of the stream and wetlands affected the entire master plan,” reflects Gore. “We not only had to balance environmental impacts, but also, growth patterns and energy efficiency.

“Two-thirds of the site was behind the stream, and one-third was in front of it. We decided that the best option was to rotate the building so the hospital’s growth patterns could maximize the land they had. If we had turned the building any other way it would have been constrained.

The small amount of tilt we put on it gave us the longest linear access that we could expand to, and we also took advantage of solar orientation and natural views.”

With the building’s location and orientation established, design

elements representing Methodist Healthcare’s commitment to spiritual outreach were incorporated into the hospital’s arrival sequence and landscaping.

“Methodist’s public outreach doesn’t just extend into the surrounding community—it radiates out into the world,” says Skelton. “The arrival sequence with the directions of travel, the shape of the roadways and adjacent parking mimics radiating water ripples that are symbolic of Methodist’s spiritual outreach.

These ripples will be reinforced with landscaping that becomes denser as you move deeper into the site and closer to the entrance.”

Representing the future of healthcare in the region, the new faith-based, patient- and family-centered hospital will allow Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare to provide high quality, cost-effective care to the thousands of residents it already serves in its Memphis-based facilities. Services will include cardiology (open heart), obstetrics, MRI, a diagnostic and

therapeutic cardiac cath lab and emergency services.

Designed for LEED certification, energy-saving strategies incorporated into the facility exceeded MLH’s goals for energy reduction by earning an ENERGY STAR rating of 93, reflecting a 33 percent reduction in energy use and a savings of more than $318,000 annually.

Also a substantial money-saver, the implementation of IPD enabled the team to produce a superior product that not only came in significantly under budget, but also ahead of schedule.

“Methodist Healthcare came to us with a very aggressive budget to design to, and then gave the contractor a very aggressive schedule to build to—and everyone lived up to their expectations,” says Gore.

“They had a clear vision of what they wanted, which was a facility where they could deliver outstanding care to each and every patient. Methodist Olive Branch Hospital truly honors that vision.”▪

The arrival sequence: The directions of travel, shape of roadways and adjacent parking form a series of ripples that are reinforced with landscaping, which becomes denser as you move deeper into the site.

The location of the stream and the need for future expansion were determining factors in the siting of the building. The axis was skewed in order to take advantage of solar orientation and views.

Future master plan site for 400-bed expansion

400-Bed Site Plan

100-Bed Site Plan Current master plan site of 100 beds

N

MIAMI VALLEY HOSPITAL SOUTH BED TOWER EXPANSION

Client

Premier Health Partners

Location

Centerville, Ohio

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture Civil Engineering Construction Administration Electrical Engineering Interior Design LEAN Process Improvement Master Planning Mechanical Engineering Plumbing Engineering Structural Engineering

team PIC Ken Priest, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PM Mack McCoy, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PP David J. Stewart, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PC Jevon Ritchey, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PC Adam Smith, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PC Andrew Holcomb, LEED AP

Jon D. Long, P.E., LEED AP Blaine Matthews, P.E.,

LEED AP

Erin A. Schumacher, NCIDQ, Associate AIA R.J. Tazelaar, P.E. W. McClain Towery, P.E., LEED AP

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iami Valley Hospital South (MVHS) opened as an outpatient facility and full-service emergency department in October 2007. A member of Premier Health Partners, the hospital added a sports medicine center and outpatient services in 2008, and a 10bed inpatient wing a year later. Due to the growth of the southern neighborhoods of Dayton, Ohio (and the subsequent increase in emergency visits and related inpatient admissions), hospital leadership decided to further expand MVHS and commissioned GS&P to design a new five-story bed tower addition. Skanska/Shook—a joint venture—was selected to team with GS&P to provide construction management services.

“From the very beginning, the purpose of the project was to see the hospital through the original master plan,” says Ken Priest, GS&P senior vice president and principalin-charge on the project. “Prior to being selected for this project, we completed a master plan update for MVHS that organized general growth patterns for the campus. The addition of an inpatient tower had always been a part of the hospital’s long-range plan.”

To help MVHS meet its longterm goals, a significant level of collaboration between the owner, designer and prime contractor was key. With speed to market a primary focus, the integrated team worked together to utilize multitrade prefabrication and a unique parallel document delivery system (PDDS) to ensure that design

“From the very beginning, the purpose of the project was to see the hospital through the original master plan.”

—Ken Priest

and construction was completed efficiently and effectively within an 18-month window. This involved breaking construction documents into six work packages based on construction milestones. By using PDDS to issue design documents, the six work packages would serve as a continual method of accountability to ensure that design documents and construction milestones were completed on time, and that contractors received the information in sequence.

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This integrated team approach throughout each phase of the project also included meeting a shared set of goals, and having each team member build toward a unified vision. The entire team—including subcontractors and the commissioning agent— were brought on board at the early design stages to assist with these goals which included: creating new

M iami Valley H o spital S o uth B ed T o wer E xpa n si o n

The new five-story bed tower is the product of a successful parallel document delivery system (PDDS) used by the integrated team to ensure design and construction were completed efficiently and on time.

reputable service lines; efficiency in design and construction; flexibility of design; increasing the quality of patient care; and speed to market.

To meet these fundamental objectives in a reduced amount of time, each team component divided into specific planning and constructability groups. This distinctive approach facilitated new ways to use tools such as multi-trade prefabrication, BIM and streamlined coordination to achieve the hospital’s vision for creating what it referred to as the “WOW” experience for its patients.

“Striving for the ‘WOW’ factor helped define the key goals for the project,” says Jevon Ritchey, GS&P architect and project team member.

“Essentially, it meant creating an atmosphere and experience that will impress both patients and visitors.

The existing campus is beautiful, and we were tasked with continuing the hospital’s aesthetic and keeping the ‘WOW’ element that already existed. And because the big push on the project was time, we had to do that within 18 months, which was an extremely aggressive schedule.”

“The challenge was not only designing and building the bed tower addition within budget and in such a short time frame, but also staying true to what had been designed prior to the expansion, and making it look like it had always been a part of the original design,” adds GS&P senior architect David Stewart. “Before this expansion, the hospital was basically a bedless facility, and the big component that was missing was an inpatient tower. Premier Health Partners wanted to make it into a full-service facility, and our responsibility was to create an addition that made it look as if Miami Valley had always been a whole hospital.”

Staying True to Form

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To remain faithful to the hospital’s original design, the GS&P team explored a number of design options to produce a look and feel for the new inpatient tower that would be similar to that of the existing campus.

“The main hospital building was right beside the planned addition and they were both five stories,” says Stewart. “So one of the ways we visually blended the two structures was by using the same brick and precast concrete, as well as color and materials that tied into the original facility. We also spent a lot of time going through the 12-story patient tower that had recently been constructed at Miami Valley Hospital’s downtown campus.

We toured the facility with staff, and ultimately applied some of the lessons learned from that project to this new inpatient tower.”

“Whatever we did, it had to gel with the original master plan,” adds Priest. “Part of that plan actually located the bed tower, so we generally knew where it needed to be positioned.”

To ensure the new tower was properly located, the design team had to employ a somewhat unorthodox but necessary approach to determining the building’s placement.

“There was a little concern about getting the tower too close to the existing building,” says Stewart. “We wanted to be able to determine what the right distance was, so we actually stood in the middle of a field and acted as the corner of the buildings.”

“We were like human batter boards,” adds Priest, “and we ended up pushing the building back because of that. When you’re standing in an open field you have a sense of scale.

And we were out in the field with the COO and a couple of other people making sure everything was parallel.

It’s one thing to show your plans as a BIM model, but they got to see the inpatient tower as the ultimate virtual plan.”

March 18, 2011

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March 18, 2012

3

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Above: Before and after photos capture a one-year construction span.

To keep an overall campus aesthetic, the same finish materials were selected for the exterior.

1 2

3

4

1

xisting Emergency Department, Surgical Center E and Diagnostic & Treatment Center

2

Existing Medical Office Building

3

New Patient Tower

4

New Women’s Center

The prefabrication process and document delivery system resulted in an estimated seven-month savings on the overall project

In the warehouse: MEP corridor racks

schedule when compared to conventional construction.

In the warehouse: Patient room headwalls and bathroom pods

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Complete Construction: Caregiver stations and corridor

Placed on site

Efficiency in Design and Construction work environment, allowing more construction to be fabricated at waistheight, and significantly reducing the number of trips up a ladder. The entire prefabrication process—along with PDDS—resulted in an estimated seven-month savings on the overall project schedule when compared to conventional construction.

“With traditional construction, you have to wait until all of the building structure is ready to go and then you start building out the walls and everything else,” explains Stewart.

“Using prefabricated components allowed everything to get started much faster, and that speed ultimately reduced the overall construction schedule and cost.”

MEP Corridor Racks

M iami Valley H o spital S o uth B ed T o wer E xpa n si o n

By utilizing multi-trade prefabrication, multiple building components— such as patient room bathrooms and headwalls; MEP corridor racks; vertical mechanical duct mains; and operating room ceilings—were constructed in an off-site, temperature-controlled warehouse while the bed tower was under construction. These vital pieces were trucked in and installed as soon as the building structure was ready to receive them. By prefabricating the components off-site, the team was able to drastically reduce the amount of noise, dust and vibration at the hospital, as well as eliminate a significant amount of construction traffic. Constructing the components in the warehouse also provided a safer

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Patient room headwalls and bathroom pods

Flexibility of Design As part of the updated master plan, shell space on the tower’s second and third floors was programmed to accommodate 48 additional inpatient rooms. Along with 48 private rooms that are situated on the building’s top two floors, the new tower features decentralized work spaces on its patient floors. Located adjacent to patient rooms (so nursing staff and physicians can work together in close proximity to patients), these decentralized areas enable better care, more efficient communication and improved patient safety.

At the end of each 16-foot wide corridor on the patient floors, a large curtain wall of glass floods the space with natural light, creating an open and healing environment. Private rooms are also filled with daylight and feature three levels of electrical shade control allowing patients to adjust the room to his or her needs.

“The way we’ve organized these units is fairly atypical,” says Stewart.

“In your traditional hospital, you have your patient rooms on either side of each corridor, and your staff

support space is in the center at the hub. With this design, instead of situating the caregiver stations in the center, they’re dispersed along the corridors with the supply alcoves, so it makes the corridors much wider and gives them a far more open feeling.

“We also slightly off-centered the patient rooms so that you don’t have a direct line of sight into an adjacent room,” adds Priest. “Having that level of privacy obviously increases the quality of the overall patient experience.”

Subtle details throughout the inpatient tower seek to neutralize the stress that hospitals often evoke.

These details include graphics of nature; frosted glass that masks work areas; and artistic glass used to represent flowing water. In order to unite the new building with the hospital and seamlessly combine the wayfinding systems, an existing landscaped area was modified and enlarged to become a courtyard. The stunning enclosure can be viewed from almost all public spaces, promoting a simple means of wayfinding.

Each decentralized patient floor has six caregiver stations and six corridor supply alcoves. Their close proximity to patient rooms allows the floors to house levels of acuity. Each caregiver station holds four people, with standing space for physicians and seated space for nurses.

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One of four renovated orthopedic ORs.

In addition to becoming an inpatient facility, MVHS desired to expand its service lines in two other major directions to meet the demands of surrounding communities.

These encompassed expanding the campus’s outpatient surgery center and offering women’s services. To achieve this, the design team renovated two of the surgery center’s existing operating rooms to become orthopedic ORs, and master planned the addition for four more orthopedic ORs.

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The LDRs are spacious enough to allow for family accommodations and various birthing techniques, including water birth. When not in use, the devices and equipment can be concealed behind the casework to help create a non-institutional atmosphere.

The team also designed a new women’s center that features five LDRs and 16 postpartum rooms. Two of the postpartum rooms (or swing rooms) are oversized, and have the necessary equipment to be converted into LDRs.

It’s one of those places that just feels good when you walk in the door, and it’s extremely gratifying to know that you’ve had something to do with that.”

“GS&P exceeded our expectations and performed far and above our typical architects on the projects at MVHS,” says Kate Whistler, owner’s representative for construction at Premier Health Partners. “We provided them a fairly significant schedule challenge right out of the gate, and they proposed a fair fee while also being able to staff the project at our fast pace. GS&P had approximately three months to design early packages before groundbreaking, and continued at a brisk pace while under construction. The entire 220,000-square-foot facility was designed and constructed in just 16 months!”▪

“GS&P exceeded our expectations and performed far and above our typical architects on the projects at MVHS.” —Kate Whistler, Premier Health Partners, Owner’s Construction Representative

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“The public corridor is wrapped around this beautifully landscaped courtyard that’s surrounded by glass, which really became a wayfinding feature,” says Priest. “Instead of walking down a hallway that you think is going to last forever, you have the courtyard to look out onto, and before you know it, you’ve arrived at your destination.”

Adding 220,000 square feet to the existing hospital, the five-story bed tower addition at Miami Valley Hospital South blends seamlessly with the original campus, and helps meet the ever-increasing demands of the surrounding community.

“This project is a speed to market success story,” says Priest. “Not only did we meet the aggressive construction schedule, but we also delivered a Class A, quality facility.

M iami Valley H o spital S o uth B ed T o wer E xpa n si o n

Left: Daylight fills the hospital, creating bright and vibrant spaces. Above: Graphics of nature and frosted glass masking work areas help alleviate stress that hospitals often evoke.

From

HOPE

to

PHOEBE SUMTER MEDICAL CENTER

CLIENT

Americus & Sumter County Hospital Authority Phoebe Putney Health System LOCATION

Americus, Georgia MARKET

Healthcare SERVICES

Architecture Civil Engineering Graphic Design Interior Design Landscape Architecture LEAN Process Improvement Master Planning Parking Study Process Mapping Programming Site Planning Transportation Planning TEAM PIC Joseph F. Thompson, AIA, LEED AP PM Robert A. (Skip) Yauger, AIA, LEED AP PP Brian Schulz, AIA, LEED AP PD James R. Kolb, RA, LEED AP ID Elisa Worden-Kirouac, IIDA, EDAC, LEED AP ID Penny J. Houchens, IIDA, LEED AP

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Jim Alderman, SEGD Carolyn Fleetwood Blake, IIDA, LEED AP Jay Bockisch, P.E., PTOE Michael L. Compton, LEED AP BD+C Jill DeMarotta, EDAC, IIDA, LEED AP BD+C Erik J. Higgins, AIA Stephanie D. Irwin, LEED ID+C Karen L. Lauther Thomas G. Martin, ASLA Jacqueline Maslan, IIDA, LEED AP Hillary M. Massey, EDAC, LEED AP Mark C. Meatte, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP Bruce M. Pitre, AIA, LEED AP Trey Rudolph, RLA Tim A. Rucker Marc A. Sauvé, LEAN LouAnn Skinner W. McClain Towery, P.E., LEED AP Marion G. Waters III, P.E., PTOE Ray A. York, Jr. AWARDS

2013 Best Healthcare Project - IIDA North Florida Chapter 2012 U.S. Green Building Council LEED Silver Certification 2012 Top 10 LEED Projects - Interiors & Sources Magazine

n the evening of March 1, 2007, a Category 3 tornado ripped through the rural city of Americus, Georgia, destroying Sumter Regional Hospital, the historic town’s only medical facility.

Miraculously, all of the building’s occupants managed to survive the violent twister that carved a path of destruction through seven southwestern Georgia counties. Left without a facility, Sumter Regional was initially forced to deliver triage and basic medical care out of FEMA-supplied tents. Several months later, a temporary hospital was set up in the form of modular building units.

With a large number of physicians moving on to other medical centers, and others practicing out of trailers, it was clear that the city of Americus desperately needed a new hospital—and as soon as possible.

“Sumter Regional Hospital was a standalone community hospital that didn’t have adequate FEMA and insurance funding to build a new facility,” explains GS&P senior project manager Skip Yauger. “So the Americus and Sumter County Hospital Authority sought a partner, and after seeking proposals from interested parties, Phoebe Putney Health System was selected to be that partner.”

In October 2008, Phoebe Putney Health System agreed to invest in, develop and operate a new replacement facility, to be renamed Phoebe Sumter Medical Center. With the goal to build a new state-of-the-art medical center that not only met the specific needs of the community, but also attracted top-tier physicians and nurses from larger cities such as Atlanta, GS&P was selected to master plan and design its new acute-care hospital.

Built in the 1950s, the original facility was closer to the center of town, and there were a number of constraints on the 13-acre site, including a 40-foot drop in topography from one end to the other. In addition, the site was landlocked by major roads and residential areas, and it was clear that future growth would be limited without acquiring a new location.

When Phoebe Putney Health System became a partner, it purchased a new 270-acre greenfield site that would give the hospital room to grow for the next 100 years. Its location at the intersection of two major highways was ideal in terms of making the new hospital far more accessible both to city and county residents.

P hoebe S umter M edical C enter

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ENGAGING STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY As the third largest employer in Americus, the loss of Sumter Regional’s facilities struck a severe economic blow. There were fears within the community that if the hospital could not be rebuilt quickly enough, the city of Americus would face further economic hardship. In addition to being a major employer, Sumter Regional was also interconnected with many of the businesses and educational institutions within the city. Additionally, without a hospital, the city would have a much more difficult time attracting new

residents to the area due to the lack of emergency health services.

“The community was desperate to have a hospital again,” says Yauger.

“The people of Americus had managed to rally together following such incredible devastation, and when the time came to design and build the new facility, it was important to engage the community to help begin the healing process.”

To help gain community support and also encourage staff buy-in, the team implemented an all-inclusive design process. Team meetings were

held in a downtown Americus storefront building so passersby could see the team at work, or maybe even stop in.

“We met with numerous community groups and leaders, as well as medical staff, patient focus groups and other city representatives. In short, everyone involved was on board to help. Even the mayor said, ‘Just tell us what to do, and we’ll do it!’”

The project has exceeded my expectations.”

Future Expansion Areas

—Joel Wernick, CEO

RIGHTSIZING THE HOSPITAL a 76-bed facility—with the potential to expand to up to 250 beds—was much more reasonable and financially sustainable.”

In addition, the GS&P team worked closely with hospital staff to garner a thorough understanding of their operational processes.

“We brought in staff from every department within the hospital,” says Sauvé. “We discussed their current practices and then looked for opportunities to improve those practices.

The process resulted in a number of takeaways that we incorporated into the design that would improve staff efficiency and the overall patient experience.”

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GS&P was initially charged with designing a 100-bed hospital. However, it soon became apparent that the community didn’t merely need to replace what was lost. They needed a new facility that was rightsized and designed to provide an efficient, flexible and patient-centric healthcare environment.

“We went through a detailed market analysis to determine the optimal number of beds for the new facility,” says Marc Sauvé, senior health strategist. “We evaluated components such as population service areas, demand for hospital service lines and demographic trends. Based on our analyses, we recommended that

P hoebe S umter M edical C enter

The hospital and medical office buildings define the boundaries of a town square that is in the center of the medical campus. The town square is designed to serve as a stage for community events, and reflects Phoebe Sumter’s commitment to Americus.

REIMAGINING THE NEW FACILITY

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After rightsizing the future hospital’s bed capacity, the design team worked with the owner to develop a series of site planning strategies. After evaluating multiple concepts, the decision was ultimately made to arrange the new 76-bed, 190,000-square-foot hospital (and three freestanding medical office buildings) around a central green space the team dubbed the “town square.”

“The city of Americus is rich in history and culture,” says GS&P senior designer Jim Kolb. “The town has a legacy of historic structures that they’re incredibly proud of. When we met with the owner to determine the goals and vision for the project, we established several key design drivers.

These included capturing the quality of the town’s historic character, as well as creating a campus that was a destination and an economic magnet for the community.

“This led to a design response related to New Urbanism, which is a strategy for organizing buildings and public spaces that are pedestrianfriendly, and involves understanding how a building fits within the larger whole. Rather than design a single building, we decided to create a medical village that consisted of four structures organized around a public town square. This is a little unique in healthcare. Typically, you’ll see a parking lot and the building is set behind it. But we didn’t want the parking lot to be the centerpiece.

We wanted the heart of the campus to serve as a stage for community events and reflect Phoebe Sumter’s commitment to Americus.”

4

We wanted the heart of the campus to serve as a stage.”

—Jim Kolb

1

1

2 2

3

3

1

Hospital

2

Women’s and Family Health Center

3

Oncology and Medical Surgical Specialists

4

Wellness and Education Center

4

CREATING A VILLAGE To fortify the new hospital against future natural disasters, precast concrete and brick were used in lieu of a more typical alternative such as stucco. To aesthetically complement the town’s historic core, the design team incorporated context-appropriate architecture—a key element of New Urbanism—into the new medical village. Standing seam metal roofs were used to give the hospital a traditional feel, while precast accent bands were added to punctuate the exterior’s striking brick façade. Aluminum airfoil sunshades, reminiscent of awnings found on downtown buildings, were utilized on the hospital’s south elevation. Throughout the new

facility’s interiors, darker woods and a warm color palette of brown hues was used to reinforce the historic Arts and Crafts context.

“We expressly designed the hospital’s front entrance to look like the lobby of the downtown Americus Windsor Hotel, which was built in 1892,” says Kolb. “Everybody in the community recognizes that space, and it’s a correlation that gives the building such a strong sense of place for the community.”

In keeping with the historic theme, the medical village’s three outpatient buildings—wellness and education; surgery and oncology; and women’s and family health—were

also designed to contribute to the campus’s unique appeal.

“Each building entrance has a different experience, creating a unique sense of arrival within the larger medical campus,” says GS&P senior designer Elisa Worden-Kirouac. “The designs drew from a similar kit of parts, so as a collection of buildings, they harmonize well together, yet are unique enough to create visual interest and diversity.”

“And each building has its own personality,” adds Kolb. “The wellness and education building was modeled after a gymnasium or field house. Its exposed metal trusses in the roof are what you might see in

The wellness and education center contains classrooms, a wellness and physical therapy gym and medical specialties clinics. Reclaimed wood serves as an accent and contributes to LEED certification. Large windows that overlook the town square and a translucent divider allow the space to be efficiently daylit.

an old college campus. The women’s and family health building has a lighter feel with its soft colors and white interior woodwork, while the surgery and oncology building strikes a more embracing and nurturing feel with its darker wood tones and Arts and Crafts details. All three buildings are different, yet they tie in perfectly with the overall historic concept.”

To augment the medical village’s historic look and feel, the design team closely collaborated to develop a library of authentic details that could be used in different combinations throughout the campus.

“We incorporated simple ideas like adding wood trim above the

I believe we struck the perfect balance.”

doors, which really changes the character of a space,” says GS&P interior designer Carolyn Blake. “And we thought a lot about the patient experience—from the lobby to the clinical areas to the patient rooms. Every place a patient or visitor might go conveys a message of welcome and reassurance.”

Clear patterns for expansion were established both for the hospital and the medical office buildings, ensuring future growth that’s complementary to the master plan.

Additionally, outparcels on the site

—Skip Yauger were designated for future development with medically related retail, restaurants and physician offices to increase density and minimize sprawl.

“At the end of the day, we wanted to pay homage to the town’s historic character, and at the same time communicate that the new hospital campus is a cutting-edge medical facility,” adds Yauger, “and I believe we struck the perfect balance.”

The women’s and family health center shares a palette and details with the labor and delivery unit at the hospital. The team researched Arts and Crafts woodworking details, along with architecture and paint brochures from the turn of the century for inspiration and authenticity.

We thought a lot about the patient experience—from the lobby to the clinical areas to the patient rooms.”

—Carolyn Blake

EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN AND SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES

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Along with reflecting the town’s architectural character, the use of evidence-based design and environmentally sustainable design strategies were key drivers for the project.

“The new facility remembers a past technology of cutting light wells into a building,” says Kolb. “If you look at a contemporary hospital, the clinical base is typically a large mass that’s not punctuated with any daylight or windows. But we were able to carve out light wells in the emergency room and radiology. As a result, the ER nurse station has a good view both of the patient rooms and the garden. Usually, a person working in a nurse’s station never knows what time of day it is in terms of lighting.

Studies show that there’s diminished alertness when you’re removed from

environmental factors, which can lead to increased errors. The incorporation of natural light in this instance will help improve those factors. We also aligned the behavioral health room with a garden light well. This is an area where patients often suffer the most from sensory deprivation, and we’ve provided a superior environment for that population.”

Incorporating evidence-based design strategies into patient rooms— such as family zones and bedside control of the environment—was also a major focus during the design process. Detailed mockups were built for LDRP, med/surg and CCU rooms and were made available to the public in the downtown Americus storefront. Each detail of the rooms, from door hardware to the location of

medical gases, was tested to ensure they functioned as intended. Rooms were standardized to decrease the chance of medical errors and improve the overall patient experience.

To provide patients with a pleasant view and add to the facility’s overall sustainability, a roof garden was situated on top of the hospital’s main building. The 24,000-squarefoot green roof—one of the largest in the Southeast—reduces glare into patient rooms while diminishing the heat island effect.

“We didn’t like the thought of two patient floors looking out onto a dull gray roof,” says GS&P project architect Brian Schulz. “So we pushed for a vegetative roof that would not only reduce heat coming off the rooftop, but also create a much better

...the first LEED Silver certified medical campus in the Southesast...”

view from a patient’s window. We used drought-resistant, indigenous plants that are specially cultivated to live in that type of environment. The native plants are also selfpropagating, so they’ll continue to spread over the rooftop and thicken over time.”

In addition to the rooftop garden, another key sustainable strategy was the design of four 20,000-gallon cisterns for rainwater harvesting.

Located beneath the medical village’s town square, the large reservoirs were designed to reduce the hospital’s dependence on city water for irrigation of the site. Use of indigenous plants and high-efficiency irrigation

equipment also help to conserve water. Other eco-friendly components include low-VOC products, lighting sensors, low-flow plumbing fixtures and the use of local materials with recycled content.

With the distinction of being the first LEED Silver certified medical campus in the southeastern United States, Phoebe Sumter Medical Center stands as an iconic symbol of hope and represents a new beginning for the city of Americus. Completed three

million dollars under budget and ahead of schedule, the replacement facility not only provides firstclass healthcare services while honoring the town’s history, but it also brings back a sense of permanence and pride to a once devastated community.

“We wanted to give Americus a new healthcare destination they could be incredibly proud of, one that would attract new medical staff, be an economic engine for the community and provide state-of-the-science medical care for every family,” says Yauger.

“The project has exceeded everyone’s expectations by achieving all of these goals. And it is beautiful too.”▪

the ST. BERNARD PARISH HOSPITAL

Client

Hospital Service District of St. Bernard Parish

Location

Chalmette, Louisiana

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture Civil Engineering Structural Engineering

team PIC, PM, PD C. Scott McQueen, NCARB, LEED AP

PA, PD S. Robert Hamby, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP

PC, PD Anna L. Ward Barnes, LEED AP

James D. Graham Dennis L. Meikrantz Ryan Sweeney, P.E. Tom Taylor

Awards

2013 IDEA Delta Regional Chapter Award of Recognition

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n August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Louisiana, producing sustained winds estimated at 125 miles per hour. Bordering the city’s Lower 9th Ward, St. Bernard Parish was all but destroyed when a massive storm surge (triggered by Katrina’s driving rains), breached the parish levees. At the heart of the tight-knit community, Chalmette Medical Center had managed to weather the Category 3 storm’s violent winds, but succumbed to the subsequent flooding that occurred the following day.

Helicopters evacuated 300 patients and hospital employees from the roof of the medical center as it was overcome by the rising waters.

When the waters receded, primary medical services for the parish were provided in a temporary clinic that was set up in a vacant Wal-Mart parking lot. In time, healthcare was delivered in a 22,000-square-foot mobile unit.

Damaged beyond repair, Chalmette Medical Center was ultimately demolished. Over time, the people of

the parish slowly started to rebuild and the population began to rebound.

However, officials feared that growth within the community would not continue without a hospital.

After several years, St. Bernard Parish secured both the funding and community support needed to build a new hospital. Ready to bring healthcare back to its residents, the St. Bernard Parish Hospital Service District charged GS&P with designing a three-story, 40-bed replacement facility that would not only withstand future disasters, but also reflect the community’s history.

“The project quickly became the centerpiece of the parish’s rebuilding efforts,” says Scott McQueen, GS&P principal-in-charge on the project, “and it didn’t take long for the design team to feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people of Chalmette.

We knew that this hospital was the next step to getting the community back on its feet.

“At first, we didn’t know where the new site was going to be located.

Eventually, the Meraux Foundation—

“The project quickly became the centerpiece of the parish’s rebuilding efforts, and it didn’t take long for the design team to feel a deep sense of responsibility for the people of Chalmette.”

— Scott McQueen

The original site after Hurricane Katrina.

which put a lot of money into rebuilding the entire parish—donated a parcel of land to the Hospital Service District.”

The new site, however, also had a high risk of flooding. Yet the prohibitive cost of finding and purchasing an alternative property had the potential to end the long-awaited project before it even began. Aware of the importance of the project’s financial success, the design team moved forward with the new location.

A complete site evaluation was performed in an effort to understand the contextual structures, utilities, possible parking areas and access points throughout the available and adjacent properties. Major design implications included aspect and prospect views to the site, wind patterns, sun angles and other environmental factors.

“The site was three feet below sea level and four feet below Katrina’s high water marks,” explains McQueen. “To bring the site above the floodplain, we added 75,000 cubic yards of sand fill to the site, which

consisted of incredibly soft organic soil. A geotechnical report confirmed that if we tried to place the building on top of the existing soil, it would have settled anywhere from 19 to 23 inches over a period of time. We let the sand fill sit for several months so it would reduce any future settling. The final grading ultimately raised the existing grade of the site by four feet, which put it one foot above sea level.”

Adding sand fill to the site also helped protect the Gulf South Pipeline, which was buried approximately 12 inches below grade.

Additionally, by berming the entire site by four feet, the dangers of annual flood intrusion were mitigated.

A complete site evaluation was performed to understand the contextual structures, utilities and access points throughout the available and adjacent properties.

OR and patient rooms were built on the second and third floors to protect them from flooding.

Other essential systems, such as major mechanical equipment, were placed on or above the second floor.

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Preventing Future Storm Damage

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To prevent history from repeating importance were the OR and patient itself, one of the Hospital Service rooms, which were placed on the District’s key goals was to design the second and third floors respectively. hospital so flooding couldn’t cripple One department that had to the facility. To achieve this, the team remain on the building’s first levcarefully programmed the three-story el due to access concerns was the building to withstand the devastating emergency department. However, effects of a hurricane. the team’s design concept of raising “Our team explored many differsurgery to the second floor would ent options to raise the hospital to an allow the associated prep and PACU elevation where floodwaters couldn’t bays to serve as a makeshift ED intrude,” says McQueen. “However, should the building’s first level because cost prevented us from fully become unusable. protecting the entire structure, we In addition to custom space worked with the hospital to come planning to maximize the building’s up with a solution that protected safety and efficiency, the entire faciliessential services and equipment ty was designed to be impact resistant. within the project budget. We placed “One of our major goals was all of the engineering items—from air to build a stronger hospital for the handlers to switchgear to the hospicommunity, and just about everything had to be impact tal’s fuel tank—16 feet above the base resistant,” says “It was our job to flood elevation, on GS&P senior the second level of architect and design a hospital the building. That project team that was built to last.” way, if water infilmember Rob trated the facility, Hamby.

“For —Rob Hamby only items not esinstance, glass had to be lamisential for critical nated, and we specifically designed operations would sustain damage.”

Although the parish would refor potential wind loads. In addition quire the hospital to close under exto raising the facility, 80-foot piles treme flooding conditions, the GS&P were driven down into the ground team designed the new facility so it just to support the columns and the could be up and running as soon as edge of the building. We knew the the waters receded. Each department community couldn’t emotionally or was analyzed for its programmatic financially afford to go through the flexibility and degree of public access, same thing again, and it was our the cost and mobility of its related job to design a hospital that was equipment, and the types of wall and built to last.” floor finishes required. Of primary

A neutral brick color was used to give the hospital a contemporary feel.

Re-establishing the Parish’s Identity

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Though the people of St. Bernard Parish certainly live with the memory of the catastrophic flooding, the community still sees water as something to celebrate. For this reason, the team developed the unique design concept of a river that passes through the main form of the building and provides circulation between departments.

“We didn’t want to ignore the fact that the flood happened, so that’s essentially where the idea came from,” explains GS&P project coordinator Anna Barnes. “We used the river as a concept because one of the main elements of the Creole culture is water. The people have always lived on the water and have always embraced its challenges, so it’s not something they’re just going to turn their backs on. The overall design concept uses the river as a divider, but it can also be seen tying the structure back together, integrating its various parts and pieces.”

The glass curtain wall, which forms the exterior of the river, provides patient rooms and public spaces with ample sunlight and sweeping views. The distinctive architectural concept also enhances wayfinding, helping visitors circulate through the hospital to major departments and patient rooms. The bend of the river—as it passes through the building mass—cradles most of the facility’s public and social areas.

To understand the hospital’s desired image for the exterior of the new building, a visioning session was conducted between the owner and the design team. This process helped to develop a baseline for discussions and resulted in a cohesive design with buy-in from all parties.

“We went through several options on the brick color,” says McQueen.

“The one thing the owner didn’t want was for the brick color to resemble mud. Everything was covered with mud after Katrina, and they were

The interior design actively encourages community pride through the use of natural materials and a two-story graphic of Lake Borgne and surrounding bayous.

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Barnes. “We used wood in the ceilings and main lobby spaces, which was in keeping with the conceptual relationship of the bayou. In addition, we incorporated a huge, twostory wall graphic of the parish that shows Lake Borgne and the bayous that surround it.

“We also tried to bring in as much natural light as possible and maximize the surrounding vistas,” stresses McQueen. “We placed large windows at the ends of the corridors and used a lot of glass in the patient rooms.

From the building’s third floor, you can clearly see Lake Borgne and the river on the other side. It’s a wonderful view.”

S t. B er n ard P arish H o spital

understandably very sensitive to that type of shade. We eventually settled on a neutral brick color, which gave the exterior a modern feel that was in keeping with new construction that was beginning to dot the landscape.

The entire area was starting to take on a more upscale, contemporary flavor, which we wanted the hospital to follow.”

Tasked with reflecting the community while celebrating the history and culture of the parish, the design team used images of the regional landscape and local historic figures throughout the hospital’s interiors.

“Although the appearance of the parish was in a state of flux, the interior design encourages community pride,” says McQueen. “No matter what direction people move in, they will be reminded of their home, its past and its present value in their lives.

“The color and form of the interiors were also rooted in the natural environment of the region,” adds

The first diagram simplifies the building shape into two conceptual parts: the building mass and the “river,” which passes through the building’s main form and provides circulation between departments.

The second diagram breaks the river form down by program. The bend of the river cradles most of the facility’s public and social areas. The verticality of the lobby allows for intuitive navigation of the hospital’s three floors.

The glass curtain wall, which symbolizes the river on the building’s exterior, provides the patient rooms and public spaces with ample sunlight and sweeping views.

GLASS CURTAIN WALL

1, 2, 3: The glass curtain wall provides an abundance of light and enhances wayfinding. 4: By moving all mechanical equipment 16 feet above grade, the design team was able to ease fears that these components could be lost in the event of another flood.

5: The exterior’s modern feel is in keeping with new construction beginning to dot the landscape. 6: The area where the “river” bends, like the city of New Orleans, is the life and nexus point of the hospital. The activated corner is a place of public entry and defines the hospital lobby.

3 4

1 2

6 5

Rebuilding the Population With much of the parish’s buildings, amenities and local infrastructure destroyed by the flooding, the new hospital became an icon for residents to rally around. A symbol of progress and recovery, the community’s new medical center needed to bolster a recovering economy, and give evacuees a reason to move back home. To do this, St. Bernard Parish Hospital would have to deliver exceptional and progressive medical care.

In an effort to create an advanced medical facility that could attract world-class health professionals, the GS&P team utilized best practices in their design work. With no current staff available from whom to draw opinions, the design team decided to start with a blank slate.

That way, no matter who staffed

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the future hospital (or what their individual practice styles were), the medical environment would be easy to navigate.

“Because the hospital had zero staff and had yet to hire new administrative staff, nurses and physicians, we had an opportunity to utilize all the best practices we knew that highlighted patient safety and staff efficiency,” says Barnes. “Starting with a blank canvas enabled us to focus on what we knew worked best from a planning standpoint.”

“And we tried to keep things standardized as much as possible,” adds McQueen. “We placed particular emphasis on providing same-handed work spaces to the hospital staff and clinicians. That familiarity between patient rooms can greatly reduce

medical errors, as opposed to mirroring the room layouts. We located the sink beside the bed in each patient room so staff can wash their hands, and patients can see them wash their hands, which is important. We also designed the rooms to have large windows that let in plenty of natural light and provide a connection to nature, which reduces stress and promotes healing.

“This new hospital is the catalyst for bringing people back to the parish because they’re not going to return to a place where there’s no quality healthcare. The community now has a cutting-edge medical facility that will undoubtedly bring back former residents and attract top-tier medical staff.”

The grand opening for St. Bernard Parish Hospital was held almost seven years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the previous facility. The invigorated community came together to celebrate this milestone.

Three weeks after the opening, the hospital was tested by the onslaught of Hurricane Isaac.

The building was able to function during power outages, high winds and flooding.

—Scott McQueen

outages, high winds and flooding, and it sustained no significant damage,” says McQueen. “The emergency generators we put on the mechanical platform on the second floor worked beautifully, so the hospital was able to keep power throughout the hurricane. One of our primary goals was to create a robust building and a safe environment for the people of St. Bernard Parish. Surviving the storm in such a big way proves we did just that.”▪

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Featuring emergency, surgery, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy, laboratory and support services, St. Bernard Parish Hospital opened its doors seven years after a colossal storm surge destroyed the previous facility.

The 109,000-square-foot hospital’s ability to withstand extreme weather and water conditions was soon tested when Hurricane Isaac barreled into Louisiana’s Gulf Coast.

“The new facility remained fully functional during major power

S t. B er n ard P arish H o spital

“The community now has a cutting-edge medical facility that will undoubtedly bring back former residents and attract top-tier medical staff.”

From

CONCEPT to REALITY SAINT JOSEPH MOUNT STERLING HOSPITAL

Client

Saint Joseph Mount Sterling Hospital

Location

Mount Sterling, Kentucky

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture BIM Graphics Interior Design Landscaping LEAN Process Improvement Planning Programming Wayfinding Analysis

team PIC, PM, PD C. Scott McQueen, NCARB, LEED AP

PP, PD David J. Stewart, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP

PC, PD Sejin Kim, Associate AIA, LEED AP

Glenn T. Davis Parhem Penn O’Briant Trey Rudolph, RLA Erin A. Schumacher, NCIDQ, Associate AIA G. Mike Summers

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ormerly Mary Chiles Hospital, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling (SJMS) became a member of the Saint Joseph Health System in 2007. The rural Kentucky hospital has proudly served the people of the Mount Sterling area, including Montgomery, Bath, Menifee and Powell counties, since its founding in 1918.

Without a long-term planning concept, the aging acute-care facility had endured multiple renovations and expansions over the years, resulting in a labyrinth of spaces that were undercut by poor adjacency between departments. In dire need of a new hospital that provided flexibility and expandability of programs, established efficient separation of public and patient/ staff circulation, and easily allowed for future expansion, Saint Joseph Mount Sterling turned to GS&P. “The old hospital was located in the middle of a residential neighborhood that was simply not a good location for a healthcare facility,” says Scott McQueen, GS&P principal-incharge on the project. “It was difficult to access and could never really be expanded the way it needed to be because it was surrounded by houses.

There was no question that a new facility was needed.”

More than ready to transition into a new facility that provided advanced healthcare in an efficient, healing environment, SJMS selected a site located at the entrance point to the city of Mount Sterling for its new 113,000-square-foot, 40-bed replacement hospital.

“One of the hospital’s key project goals was for the new facility to stand as a prominent gateway to the city of Mount Sterling,” says McQueen.

“Unlike the former site, which was off the highway and fairly secluded, the new site was close to the Mount Sterling exit and could be clearly seen from the interstate. It was the prime location for their new hospital.

“One thing we did at the very beginning of this project—and we do this on every job—was set our guiding principles. These included easy access to the site, creating a familyoriented environment and serving the area beyond Mount Sterling. We then let those principles decide every solution for the hospital from that point forward.”

Before design work could begin, it was essential for the GS&P team to fully understand operational processes taking place within the existing facility. While analyzing the hospital’s working procedures, the design team solicited input from all patient and support departments, including registration, ED, radiology, surgery, pharmacy, lab and materials management. This multi-disciplinary approach not only provided the team with a greater understanding of the hospital’s current situation, but it also helped them to identify potential obstacles and opportunities for better efficiencies.

“We spent a lot of time in the old facility analyzing the hospital’s existing processes,” adds David Stewart, GS&P senior architect. “Process mapping how the hospital operated in areas such as patient and material

Situated at the entrance to Mount Sterling, Kentucky, the new hospital serves as a prominent and symbolic gateway to the city.

flows really helped the individual departments have a better understanding of what the other departments were doing, and ultimately how one affected the other.

“After we completed our analysis, we worked closely with the hospital to start streamlining its overall process.

Once we determined the most efficient way to lay out the new facility in terms of departmental adjacencies and other spaces, we were able to start designing the new hospital around those processes.”

Analyzing the Site Following the process mapping and space programing phase of the project, a complete site evaluation was performed, and a conceptual design

identifying the building locations, major access points, circulation and potential parking zones was developed.

Focusing on the facility’s new symbolic site as an iconic gateway to the city of Mount Sterling, the design team chose to orient the building toward the highway, allowing the hospital to be clearly seen from the freeway and surrounding areas. Saint Joseph Mount Sterling’s desire for positive community interaction was addressed by placing the hospital as a virtual billboard pointing to the city.

“After studying the color and context of the area, we were drawn to the spatial concept of a billboard and it’s interaction with the public,” says Stewart. “The hospital has been serving the community for close to

a century, and orienting the facility this way promotes a conversation with that community.”

“The billboard concept was also about siting the building where it had a strong presence,” adds McQueen.

“There was no other major building off that exit, so we designed the hospital to be a focus upon entering the city of Mount Sterling.”

To make the new facility stand out further in its prominent setting, the design team drew inspiration from the city’s downtown buildings and the architectural essence of nearby Lexington, using a color palette of natural tones and contextual materials.

“We visited several new and older buildings in the area in order to understand the broader context of the

“We realized that the new facility would impact the overall community, and wanted to be sure that the design methodology took a thoughtful and sensitive approach.”

—David Stewart

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The design team chose to orient the building toward the highway, allowing the hospital to be clearly seen from the freeway and surrounding areas.

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“When we were selecting the materials for the building’s exterior, we wanted to make sure they really stood out in that particular setting,” adds GS&P project team member Sejin Kim. “So we used contextual materials, giving the utmost consideration to how they blended with the neighborhood.”

To create a unified connection with the building’s interiors, a visioning session was conducted to identify an appropriate look and feel.

The GS&P team focused on color and form, and how they could fuse those two components with SJMS’s core values of reverence, compassion, integrity and excellence.

S ai n t J o seph M o u n t S terli n g H o spital

building’s exterior,” says Stewart.

“We realized that the new facility would impact the overall community, and wanted to be sure that the design methodology took a thoughtful and sensitive approach.

“Mount Sterling is basically a suburb of Lexington. The historic Keeneland racecourse is located in Lexington and its building is a stone structure, so the horse farm theme runs strong in that region. We were able to demonstrate through design charettes that using red brick for the facility really wouldn’t fit in with the surrounding community, and were able to bring in materials that were more appropriate for the area.”

Providing Flexibility and Expandability

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As the two-story building started to take form, critical horizontal and vertical adjacencies were defined. The goal was to minimize travel distances and place related departments on the same floor. A critical element of this process was providing the hospital with two separate paths of circulation—one for the public, where all hospital services from administration to radiology could be accessed, and one for staff and materials that would cut through the rear of the building and eliminate cross-traffic.

“We laid out the facility so there would be a clear division between public and staff spaces,” says McQueen. “We also designed it so that no major departments were landlocked by another, which allows for easy expansion.

“For any small hospital like this, the ability to expand is vital. One of the reasons the old facility had so many issues was because it couldn’t expand. The departments were essentially landlocked in the middle of the hospital. They would have had to move an entire department out of the way to expand.”

Adhering to SJMS’s key goal for the new facility to provide flexibility and expandability of programs, the design team laid out the building’s first floor so that all departments could easily grow. The circulation to and within each department was expressly designed to allow expansion in the direction of traffic without major impact to the existing layout.

Additionally, departments such as

the ED and radiology were placed in close proximity to one another to streamline patient flow.

Each of the first floor’s diagnostic and treatment centers was designed to have direct access to the building’s second floor, which accommodates all of the hospital’s inpatient care and includes an ICU, pharmacy, OB/LDR and lab space.

Staff hubs located on this floor were arranged to provide clear wayfinding for patients and visitors.

The circulation to and within each department was expressly designed to allow expansion in the direction of traffic without major impact to the existing layout.

SURGERY

PATIENT/STAFF SPINE

ADMINISTRATIVE

PUBLIC SPINE

S ai n t J o seph M o u n t S terli n g H o spital

RADIOLOGY

ED

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A critical component in establishing efficient circulation was coordinating the separation of public and patient/staff circulation.

Creating a Healing Environment Just as expandability and flexibility were crucial considerations for the future of the hospital, equally important to patients and their families was a facility that minimized the stress often associated with the healthcare experience.

“A visit to the hospital can obviously be an extremely stressful event,” says Stewart. “A large number of studies strongly support that the use of natural light can greatly reduce anxiety and depression, and we made sure that we incorporated as much natural light into the facility as possible. If you walk down any of the corridors in the patient tower on the second floor, you’ll come to a large, non-reflective glass window at the end of each corridor that lets in plenty of light. Even the patient

rooms themselves have sizable windows that provide views to nature and bring healing light into the space.”

“We also placed family zones in the patient rooms,” adds McQueen.

This allows family members to participate in the care of the patient and offer closer observation, which is actually found to reduce the number of patient falls. In addition, all of the patient rooms are standardized, which also leads to patient safety.

With standardized rooms, the rooms are not mirrored and all face in the same direction, so the bed is always going to be on the left side, and the doctor’s right arm is always going to be toward the patient. We’ve also incorporated those evidence-based design principles into every typical room that has multiple rooms such

The connecting lobby spans the width of the building, providing defined public waiting areas and access to the medical departments.

as the ER. The ORs and prep rooms for surgery are also standardized, so when a nurse hits a Code Blue button, it will be in the same space in each room.

“In a small hospital, the nursing staff don’t just stick to the one department. They get moved around a lot and have to cover multiple departments. So having some standardization across the board really helps because staff aren’t constantly looking for items. If a nurse is spending five minutes searching for supplies every time he or she goes into room, that is a complete waste of time. In short, standardization allows for more efficient use of time. And creating a more efficient work environment was a high priority on Saint Joseph’s list.”

Non-reflective glass windows were built at the end of every corridor in the patient tower to help reduce anxiety and depression through the use of natural light.

Patient safety is enforced through standardized rooms.

Offering the city of Mount Sterling and its surrounding communities a new paradigm in healthcare, the Saint Joseph Mount Sterling replacement hospital includes comprehensive inpatient and outpatient diagnostic treatment centers; an emergency department; radiology, surgery and recovery suites; cardiopulmonary rehab; a café/dining area and chapel; and an easily accessible public spine, which serves the entirety of

the hospital. The facility’s critical ability to connect and expand was successfully demonstrated when the addition of three major components during construction caused no significant impact to circulation, or to the originally designed department adjacencies.

“Additional funding became available midway through the project,” says Stewart, “so we were able to build out the MRI, a cath lab and

a two-story MOB. It not only forced us to say to the hospital, ‘Yes, we can do this,’ but it also enabled us to show them how. Oftentimes, when we plan and design healthcare facilities with the future in mind, the client has to wait for our concepts to translate into truly functional solutions. This time, our design was tested in the middle of the construction process, and it passed with flying colors.”▪

A New Standard for

International Healthcare Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center Shared Facility

Client

Shanghai Minsheng Investment and Development, Co. Ltd. Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center Construction and Development, Co. Ltd.

Location

Shanghai, China

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture Planning

team PIC Kevin K. S. Kim, AIA PM David J. Stewart, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP PD Samuel Chunfu Lin PC Sejin Kim, Associate AIA, LEED AP

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the project. “We expressly designed it to be the core support facility for the hospitals and specialty clinics located on the campus. It was the very first piece we designed because it’s the central hub that all the surrounding facilities will physically connect to.

“The project was essentially the culmination of our involvement with the client that began with a feasibility study for the campus. We were then selected to develop the master plan as a result of winning the design competition. After we’d completed the master plan, we were awarded the contract for two of the medical city’s buildings. One was Huashan Hospital, and the other was the shared facility.”

A world-first, the 947,805-squarefoot, eight-story support facility will serve as the centralized distribution point for all logistical, clinical and public support services for the campus’s hospitals and specialty clinics.

“The functionality of this shared facility truly makes it one-of-a-kind,” says Kim. “I’m not aware of any other building that combines this variety of supporting services and then connects to different hospitals with different ownership.”

The shared facility’s medical program includes clinical and pathology laboratories; pharmacy (retail/storage); clinic/MOB; and sterilization services. Food, retail, laundry, supply storage, materials management and IT support services—all responding to the needs of the campus’s inpatient and outpatient facilities—will also be provided via the facility.

S ha n ghai New H o n gqia o I n ter n ati o n al M edical C e n ter S hared F acility

ne of the world’s largest cities by population, Shanghai has long been referred to as a global city due to its international influence on commerce, culture, fashion and technology. Situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai grew in importance during the 19th century thanks to its favorable port location. Today, the East-meets-West metropolis is not only known as a popular tourist destination, but is also considered a major economic force.

In spite of its status as a first-tier city, Shanghai has not been universally recognized as a leader in the delivery of healthcare services, and is often eclipsed by cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong—both key centers for global medical tourism.

In an effort to position Shanghai as a world-class medical destination, the Chinese government launched a design competition challenging architects across the globe to create a blueprint for a new international medical city that would not only attract medical tourists, but also entice expatriates and Chinese nationals alike.

An innovative rethinking of the conventional hospital campus secured GS&P first place in the global competition and ultimately the commission to master plan the new stateof-the-art medical complex.

“The shared facility was an essential piece of the master plan,” says Kevin Kim, GS&P senior vice president and principal-in-charge on

Cylinders on all four corners of the building were designed to receive future connecting bridges to the other hospitals.

“The idea behind the shared facility was to enable the hospitals and clinics to share vital resources and technologies,” explains Kim. “By centralizing so many key services, especially the most expensive modalities such as imaging, the support facility will significantly reduce unnecessary duplication of basic services, and also lower operational costs for the individual hospitals and clinics.

“Another element that makes it unique is the fact that it was designed on four corners so it can receive connecting sky bridges from any direction. When we were developing the master plan, the locations of many of the buildings were still to be determined. So we came up with the concept of putting four cylinders on the four corners of the building, which would make it possible to receive a connecting sky bridge from any direction within that cylinder surface.”

Creating an Iconic Landmark

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To successfully accommodate the needs of the medical center’s various hospitals and clinics, the shared facility had to measure nearly one million square feet. Due to its size and scope, the design team was tasked with fitting the building on a constricted site at the center of the complex, while at the same time creating a facility that had a strong visual connection to the surrounding landscape. To achieve this, the team developed the shared facility as a sloped building with numerous functions located below grade to minimize congestion

without compromising functionality.

Several key elements were incorporated into the design in order to promote the building’s connection with the landscape, including a green roof, terraced rooftop gardens and a large central glass atrium.

“Before this project, the campus itself was designed to be a civic landmark,” says GS&P project team member Sejin Kim, “and at that point the shared facility was embedded into the entire design. Now, it’s a separate project and a separate building.

One of the owner’s key goals was to make the facility really stand out because it’s the anchor at the heart of the campus. So we explored several different design concepts in order to create the iconic appearance they were searching for.”

“If you look at the original master plan, the shared facility was initially conceived as a long, stretching hill, gently rising toward the center of the campus,” explains Kevin Kim. “Everything was underneath it, and the ‘arms’ beneath the hill were reaching out and holding the surrounding hospitals. That’s how the connection was made. It really didn’t look much like a building.

Patients will easily circulate between the facility and the surrounding hospitals and clinics via sky bridges on the building’s upper floors. Public circulation is on the ground level and service circulation is below grade.

International Hospital Specialty Hospitals

International Hospital Cancer Hospital

Huashan Hospital

“However, we had to make some major adjustments to the master plan when the government determined it was more practical to divide the land and sell the site to each hospital. Because of this, the boundary for the facility became much more limited, and we had to adjust our design accordingly. Instead of the roof contiguously expanding out to touch the other hospitals, we used sky bridges to connect one hospital to another. We still wanted the facility to look like it was rising out of the landscape because we’d been charged with creating an iconic building that would become a landmark for the city. So we managed to maintain the original design concept by giving the building a sloping green roof and a terraced façade, which reinforces the idea that the building is rising out of the earth.”

Circulation With four hospitals and a number of specialty clinics connecting to the building from different angles, the design team was tasked with finding an alternative to housing operational

support in the back of the shared facility. This needed to be achieved while maintaining strict separation between materials, patient and public circulations in a facility that will eventually house an estimated 18,000 workers and thousands of patients. To meet this challenge, the team layered circulation patterns vertically, placing patient circulation on the building’s upper floors, public circulation on the facility’s main level, and service and supply circulation belowground.

“In order to make this multifunctional complex work at the highest level, clear separation between patient, staff and public channels was critical. So we came up with a vertical and horizontal circulation system that fully addresses those issues,” says Kevin Kim. “We limited public circulation to the main level of the facility, along with food service, retail, conference spaces and other public amenities, which are all accessible from the outdoor park at street level. The patients will easily be able to circulate between the facility and the surrounding hospitals and clinics via sky bridges

A world-first, the 947,805-square-foot, eight-story support facility will serve as the centralized distribution point for all logistical, clinical and public support services for the campus’s hospitals and specialty clinics.

B

D C

A

Green Building Elements A. By facing the atrium north, heat gain is minimized through natural sun shading.

B. The green roof will act as building insulation and assist with stormwater management.

C. Strategic use of daylighting will minimize energy use.

D. Two glazed skins and solar shading devices will provide insulation by mitigating solar gain.

Left: The sun’s path across the building is diagrammed.

Green Building Design When envisioning this international medical city of the future, the GS&P team designed the complex to be one of the world’s most energy-efficient healthcare campuses. This eco-friendly approach was underscored in the design of the shared facility, where particular emphasis was placed on creating a sustainable building that would not only maximize natural resources, but also minimize energy consumption.

“The green roof was a big part of the sustainable philosophies we designed into the building,” says Kevin Kim. “The city of Shanghai is really encouraging green roof ideas because they promote cleaner air and lower the overall city temperature as there are so many paved areas.

The city will actually pay 30 percent toward the cost of a green roof, and we’ve taken full advantage of that.”

In conjunction with the expansive green roof, an enhanced building envelope and high-efficiency mechanical equipment will offset almost half of the building’s carbon footprint. Additionally, a double skin façade consisting of two glazed skins with solar shading devices will provide a higher insulating value for the building’s exterior envelope while mitigating solar gain, decreasing cooling loads and permitting natural ventilation. To create shaded park areas and allow for natural light, the slope of the building was oriented and designed based on specific sun angles. Planted roofs will act as building insulation systems and also assist with stormwater management.

In keeping with the project’s green building and energy-saving goals, the design team was tasked with creating an atrium space that could be comfortably heated and cooled without incurring huge energy

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on the building’s upper floors, and won’t have to go outside just to get to another building.”

Far away from patients and the general public, all shared supply services within the facility will be centrally stored and distributed via a network of subterranean roads and tunnels that run beneath the building.

“The last thing an international hospital wants to contend with is large trucks and materials going in and out,” says GS&P senior architect and project team member David Stewart. “They’re not going to make any money that way either. So the perfect solution was to put the central distribution facility on the basement level. We also located storage, mechanical functions, operational support and parking below grade, which can all be accessed via underground roads and tunnels. There’s almost as much circulation and activities going on belowground as there is above.”

S ha n ghai New H o n gqia o I n ter n ati o n al M edical C e n ter S hared F acility

Above: Illustrations show how passive heating and cooling systems will condition the atrium year-round.

“They’re essentially saying that Shanghai can provide better healthcare than anywhere else—and in a better environment. It’s a huge drawcard that will ultimately see people from other provinces and countries seeking their healthcare in that city.”

—David Stewart

Shanghai New Hongqiao International Medical Center’s shared facility represents a revolutionary new model in healthcare delivery. By centralizing multiple resources and technologies, the striking centerpiece will significantly reduce unnecessary expenses for the campus’s inpatient and outpatient facilities, and give patients and hospital staff easier access to technologies that might otherwise prove cost-prohibitive for an individual hospital. The groundbreaking facility will also maximize capital investment to lower barriers to entry for future hospitals and specialty clinics, helping the international campus attract top-tier medical talent—and subsequently medical tourists—from around the world.

“This shared support facility is going to make it much easier for a

new hospital to build on campus because they won’t have to build a full-range hospital in order to be operational; and that’s what the Shanghai government wanted,” says Kevin Kim. “It will also make it easier for the public to get outpatient-based treatment. In China, an outpatient facility is always a part of the main hospital, so you need to go through the hospital system just to get to these clinics, which are typically overcrowded and have a lengthy registration process. The way we’ve designed this facility, it will be a quick in and out when patients come for imaging or lab services.”

“At the end of the day, it’s all about innovating how you provide healthcare,” adds Stewart. “When you look at this campus and its shared facility, which serves as the public centerpiece, they’re essentially saying that Shanghai can provide better healthcare than anywhere else—and in a better environment. It’s a huge drawcard that will ultimately see people from other provinces and countries seeking their healthcare in that city.

“The shared facility is a totally unique project,” continues Stewart, “and it’s been incredibly exciting to be a part of it because it’s never been done before—and that’s the kind of thing you can typically only dream about as an architect.”▪

S ha n ghai New H o n gqia o I n ter n ati o n al M edical C e n ter S hared F acility

costs. The team designed the atrium to face north in order to minimize heat gain and provide natural sun shading. Passive heating and cooling systems will be used to condition the building’s first floor as opposed to the entire space. This innovative design strategy will reduce both the costs and energy required to ventilate the space. Other sustainable design strategies include maximizing daylighting; total energy cogeneration; geothermal heat exchangers; and solar collection.

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Ohio River

louisville loop

greenwood road

dixie highway

Mill creek Farnsley-Moremen Landing “Riverside”

P&L Railroad

Sun Valley Park

waverly Park

Valley STATION

Valley Station Road

StoneStreet Road

Happy

Southwest Greenways Master Plan

i-264

pleasure ridge park

i-65

iroquois Park

new cut road

outer loop

pond creek

fairdale

Client

Louisville Metro Parks Department

Location

Louisville, Kentucky

Market

Land Planning

Services

Bicycle/Pedestrian Design Master Planning Sustainability

team PIC, PP Jonathan D. Henney, AICP, ASLA PM Michael Sewell, P.E.

John Campbell Christine Gary

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ver the past few decades, multi-use trail projects across the United States have resulted in a wide variety of benefits for pedestrians, cyclists and other user groups. Connecting people and places, open space corridors known as greenways connect urban and suburban neighborhoods to parks, schools, business areas and community centers, enhancing the overall quality of life in an area. Often referred to as a community’s “front porch,” greenways not only provide alternative routes for transportation, but also have a positive effect on human health by combating urban sprawl and providing a safe and convenient place to exercise and play.

Covering 98 square miles of land, Louisville, Kentucky’s southwestern quadrant is rich in natural, historic and cultural resources. This diverse area is primed for a greenway system that connects neighborhoods, schools, parks, workplaces and retail areas via a network of paved paths, bikeways and soft-surface trails. This same region conversely hosts a population with above-average rates for diabetes, childhood obesity and other preventable diseases. Ready to develop a master plan that not only interconnects this quadrant, but also encourages surrounding communities to improve their overall health and well-being, Louisville Metro Parks solicited the services of GS&P. “The project was actually funded through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant aimed at reducing obesity through healthier lifestyle choices,” says Jon Henney, GS&P senior landscape architect and principal-in-charge on the project. “The funding was allocated to

Louisville Metro Parks with the idea that a multi-use trail system would help provide a healthier transportation alternative to driving your car, and that designing and constructing a trail system would ultimately help toward the issue of obesity.

“The Southwest Greenways Master Plan is the first phase of what we hope will be a county-wide planning initiative, because beyond the Louisville Loop—which is a 100-mile, multi-use trail system that encircles the city—it was really important to start looking at how to get the community to the Loop.”

Before embarking on the master plan process, overarching community goals were identified. These included achieving CDC objectives, such as providing alternative transportation choices, offering health and fitness opportunities, connecting the community and helping protect and preserve area resources. Another main goal called for the new greenway system to contribute to the future success of the Louisville Loop by providing connectivity through a network of feeder paths and trails.

“Given the scope of the project and the wide variety of issues we were going to be addressing, we decided that we needed to put together a pretty diverse team of consultants to help us tackle this,” explains Henney. “While GS&P was the prime consultant, we also brought in ecologists, biologists, archeologists and trail design specialists.”

Legend

Connecting the Community to the Loop The Southwest Greenways will be a system of shared-use paths, bike lanes, sidewalks and soft-surface trails. The system will connect neighborhoods with business districts, community centers, historic and cultural sites, and parks, providing a transportation network that may be used for recreation or commuting.

Extensive inventory and analysis of environmental, historical, archeological and cultural resources One of the initial tasks was to identify and define all of the potential users of the greenway network. This process included understanding the unique needs of each user group. Below are examples of studies used to help determine the final design.

Overhead Electrical easements District key map

HYDRAULIC soils

large grassland patches GAP Land cover potential rare, threatened and endangered species OCCURENCES walking radius map Wetlands

steep slopes

surface water resources Large forest, interior forest

Identifying User Groups and Resources Before developing a design solution, one of GS&P’s initial tasks was to identify and define all of the potential users of the proposed greenway network. This process included understanding the unique needs of each user group, and what those needs translated into when it came to physical facilities.

Also critical to informing the master plan process, an extensive inventory and analysis of environmental, historical, archeological and cultural resources was conducted.

The team’s effort included reviewing existing studies that related to land use, natural resources and the Louisville Loop; mapping land use conditions and resources; and completing a detailed bike and pedestrian inventory.

“We had to approach most of our research in a two-stage process,” reflects Henney. “We initially took a broad look at the research materials that were already out there in order to identify where some of the known resources were. Once we had a better sense of where the greenway network was going to go, we took a closer look at the locations to make sure we weren’t adversely impacting some of those resources, and that we were providing the necessary links to get people to them.”

Through the extensive inventory and analysis, 260 archeological sites representing human occupation were identified. Many of these sites were located close to creeks, marshes and floodplains that support an

abundance of wildlife, fish, shellfish and foliage.

“When it came to identifying archeological resources, we took more of a ‘protect and preserve’ approach,” says Henney. “We wanted to be able to pinpoint these resources and make sure that we weren’t leading people to sensitive areas, such as a former homestead or Native American settlement.

“The ecological inventory and analysis explored the same types of things but from an ecological perspective.

We looked at the whole gamut of ecological resources that was out there—everything from water bodies to vegetation—and determined if some areas were more sensitive than others and needed to be protected.”

One of the many natural resources identified in this phase of the project was an area historically known as the Wet Woods. Formerly home to Jefferson County’s salt-making industry, this strip of stream channels and drainage ditches was also

reported to have harbored moonshiners and outlaws. Today, remnants of the Wet Woods are scattered among newer workplaces, reinforcing the importance for economic develop-

Louisville’s history. Overlooking the scenic Ohio River, the historic Farnsley-Moremen House is the centerpiece of the 300-acre FarnsleyMoremen Landing. Built in 1837 and listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, the nineteenth-century river plantation stands as testament to the important role agriculture played along the Ohio river in the development of the United States.

“Connecting to this historic house and landing is a wonderful way to celebrate the area’s history,” says Henney. “The master plan provides a number of alternatives for accessing the site.

“We went through this comprehensive inventory and analysis process to understand exactly what types of resources were out there, and how they could either be protected or utilized. Once we had clearly identified those resources, we looked closely at what connections needed to be made, which involved opening up a dialog with the public.”

“When it came to identifying archeological resources, we took more of a ‘protect and preserve’ approach.”

—Jon Henney

S o uthwest G ree n ways M aster P la n

ment that also respects and preserves the natural area.

“Once we understood what some of the resources were, it helped us outline opportunities for interpretation,” says Henney. “If you were on a trail there could be a marker that says you’re standing within an area once known as the Wet Woods, and that marker would explain why that area was significant to the community.”

Another site poised for connection to the proposed greenway system also tells a story about southwest

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The remaining Wet Woods are scattered among newer workplaces.

The historic Farnsley-Moremen House.

Engaging the Public To ensure user feedback at critical milestones of the master plan, the GS&P team implemented an extensive public engagement effort.

Working with area residents and the public at large to understand what they needed from the corridor, the process was also used to educate the community about greenway systems in general, property rights, safety and protection of resources. The wideranging public involvement strategy included a series of neighborhood meetings in three locations across the study area; a survey of 8,000 residents to gauge community interest; and a series of focus meetings to capture specific user group needs.

User groups included walkers/runners, equestrians, canoers/kayakers and mountain bikers.

“We conducted our public meetings within three distinct subdistricts

to make sure that we were hearing the unique perspectives of residents and stakeholders in those areas,” says Henney. “In one district there’s the Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is one of the largest urban forests in the country, and there are communities that surround it. So that had its own unique set of characteristics and perspectives. Another planning area was the Dixie Highway Corridor, which is probably the most developed of the three subdistricts. That particular corridor has some of your traditional suburban sprawl and commercial development along it, but then there are a number of neighborhoods that developed along the corridor. The third area was essentially the remaining piece, which traverses from a very rural area—similar to what’s around the Memorial Forest—up to a lot of older urban neighborhoods.

“In each of those areas we had different neighborhoods and different issues that the residents would bring to the discussion in terms of what they wanted to get out of a greenway system. They told us what the important connections were from their perspective, whether it was connecting from one neighborhood to another, from a neighborhood to a park, or a developed area to a neighborhood. They were also able to help us with some of the cultural resources in terms of locations. For instance, a particular neighborhood might utilize a certain location as a gathering place for Fourth of July picnics. That wouldn’t be a piece of information we would readily know, so what we learned from the public was a personal experience level of information.”

A series of neighborhood meetings at three different locations, and a survey of over 8,000 residents provided critical public input.

In addition to the survey and neighborhood meetings, a series of focus group meetings were held to capture specific user needs.

With the inventory and analysis phase of the project complete, the client and design team reviewed the information—along with the feedback garnered during the public engagement process—and developed an alternatives map for potential greenway corridors. These alternatives were not only developed to meet the goals and objectives of the master plan, but also to remain compatible with the topographic conditions present along each route.

“Once we got through the majority of the public process, the next step was developing a series of alternatives where we mapped out a number of potential networks,” explains Henney.

“We then went back to the public and told them that, based on our experience and what we’ve heard from you, here are different alternatives to accomplish this.

“When all is said and done, it’s about connecting people.”

—Jon Henney “It’s one thing to talk about a greenway system in theory, but the rubber really meets the road when you’re starting to show somebody whether there’s going to be a publically accessible path running behind their backyard. The alternatives process gave us a number of choices and the most appropriate was selected, and that led to the final version of the master plan.”

A socioeconomic connector proposing multiple health and fitness opportunities, the final master plan lays out a comprehensive greenway system consisting of more than 14 miles of trails and pathways that connect 40

schools and colleges, 16 neighborhoods, 17 parks and dozens of area retail and employment centers.

“When all is said and done, it’s about connecting people,” says Henney. “Louisville is a community of neighborhoods, which can be both a blessing and a curse. I grew up in Louisville, and my experience was that people tended not to venture far from their own neighborhoods, and didn’t take the opportunity to learn about the people and experiences in other segments of the community.

“In addition to encouraging a healthier lifestyle, I believe the Southwest Greenways trail system will help break down those regional barriers and give people a whole new reason to understand and respect what happens in other parts of their community.”▪

A client/design team charrette led by GS&P’s Jon Henney (far right) reviews the inventory and assessment data to develop preliminary alternatives.

The final Southwest Greenways Master Plan.

State Route 324/Gravel springs road over Interstate 85

Client

Gwinnett County Department of Transportation

Location

Buford, Georgia

Market

Transportation

Services

Road Design Bridge Design Environmental Geotechnical

team PIC Kent Black, P.E. PM Jody Braswell, P.E. PP Ted A. Kniazewycz, P.E. PP Marissa Martin, P.E. PP Brian G. O’Connor, P.E.

Sarah Worachek, P.E. Nigel D. Hambrick

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Before

eginning at an intersection with State Route 20 just south of Buford, Georgia, the highly traveled State Route 324 had long been plagued with operational and safety issues. To tackle this critical problem throughout the busy corridor, as well as provide for future transportation needs along Interstate 85, the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation proposed to replace the old two-lane SR 324/Gravel Springs Road overpass with a new four-lane bridge over I-85.

The project’s scope would also include widening roadway approaches to the bridge from two lanes to four, and the relocation of two adjacent side roads.

GS&P was tasked by Gwinnett DOT to develop bridge and roadway design solutions that would not only allow for the future widening of I-85 (along with the addition of future collectordistributor/HOV and toll lanes), but also improve safety throughout the corridor.

“The existing bridge was an extremely narrow overpass with one travel lane in each direction and no accommodations for pedestrians,” explains Jody Braswell, GS&P senior transportation engineer. “There was also poor sight distance from the bridge approach because the vertical roadway curves leading up to the overpass didn’t meet today’s

standards. Coupled with the existing side roads’ close proximity to the bridge— which made it difficult for motorists to see drivers coming from both sides of the overpass—these safety issues resulted in a large number of crashes, either on or near the bridge, that included multiple fatalities. So improving safety was a top priority with this project.”

Improving safety was a top priority.

—Jody Braswell

In addition to enhancing safety, planning for future expansion was another key design driver.

“It was imperative that we coordinate with the work being done by the Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] on I-85 because that work would ultimately determine I-85’s future footprint,” says Kent Black, GS&P senior vice president and principal-in-charge on the project. “Once that footprint was determined, we could start designing the new bridge and its span to accommodate future plans for the interstate from both a vertical and horizontal perspective.”

buford 

Map data ©2013 Google

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Putting America Back to Work As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama in 2009, it was critical that the project was delivered on schedule.

“The project was part of a Presidentmandated stimulus plan that was designed to jumpstart the economy, and it was a huge investment in the local infrastructure,” says Black. “All eyes were on this high-profile project—from the media to the Federal Highway Administration, from GDOT to Gwinnett DOT—and it was

absolutely critical that we came through for the County. Gwinnett DOT had made a commitment to GDOT to have the project ‘shovel ready’ so they could deliver on the stimulus program. Because the final design and construction letting were on an accelerated schedule and we were able to deliver as promised, the project received the federal funding under the TIGER grant stimulus program. It was certainly a unique project component that ended up being a home run for everybody.”

Left: The existing two-lane bridge was expanded to four lanes to help the flow of vehicle traffic and accommodate pedestrians. Middle: The 32-foot raised concrete median on the bridge was designed to be removed to allow for future interchange upgrades. Right: The profile of the bridge was designed to enhance the vertical curve and improve sight distance throughout the corridor.

The project was part of a Presidentmandated stimulus plan that was designed to jumpstart the economy, and it was a huge investment in the local infrastructure. — Kent Black

Staging and Construction

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Another distinctive element that sets the $12 million project apart was the staging of the bridge’s construction.

As Gwinnett DOT was adamant that construction take place with minimal traffic disruptions on both SR 324 and I-85, the new overpass was designed to accommodate an innovative twophase construction process.

“Because of the high traffic volumes the corridor handles, the new bridge had to be built in two separate phases while maintaining traffic flow,” says Braswell. “This involved keeping the existing two-lane bridge open, and designing the new overpass so that two out of the four lanes could be built next to the old bridge. As soon as the first two lanes were built, traffic was transferred onto those lanes, the old bridge was demolished and removed, and the two remaining lanes were constructed.”

Once the two phases of construction were complete, the bridge segments were attached with cross bracing, and a concrete slab closure pour was executed.

To help support heavy traffic volumes and consequently reduce crash potential, the new bridge was designed with two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction—a huge upgrade from its predecessor, which only accommodated one lane in each direction.

In addition—at 466 feet—the new overpass was designed to be longer than the old bridge and with a flatter curve, improving both sight and stopping distances.

“Our design solution gives drivers the ability to see far enough ahead to stop before colliding with something in the roadway— whether it’s a car, a pedestrian or road debris,” says Braswell.

GS&P’s bridge design also implemented curbs, six-foot pedestrian sidewalks and a 32-foot-wide raised concrete median (designed to be removed during construction of the anticipated full-service interchange), which increases traffic separation and reduces the likelihood of headon collisions.

To further improve sight distance and safety, two adjacent side roads—Camp Branch Road and Morgan Road—were relocated to intersect SR 324 further from the bridge. The relocation of the roads allows for future exchange ramps to tie to SR 324 while maintaining median open spacing.

Coordination between Gwinnett DOT, GDOT and the Federal Highway Administration was conducted throughout the design of the bridge to ensure that future widening on I-85—as well as the addition of future collector-distributor/ HOV/toll lanes—was planned for.

To achieve this goal, the new overpass was designed so that intermediate piers for the bridge were located between the future widened travel lanes and the potential collectordistributor travel lanes. Vertical walls that support each end of the bridge span were designed to allow for the greatest width possible underneath the overpass, and a typical section of I-85 was used to develop the drainage ditches underneath the bridge.

“There’s a grand plan for I-85,” says Braswell. “It currently has four travel lanes—two in each direction—but in the future it will be able to accommodate up to eight general purpose lanes, four CD lanes and eight managed lanes.”

There have been no reported safety problems like the ones that previously hampered the corridor.

—Kent Black Widening the existing two-lane rural roadway to an urban four-lane highway for just under a mile across I-85, the new SR 324/Gravel Springs Road bridge completes Gwinnett County’s link of four lanes along SR 324 from SR 20 to SR 124. The signature structure effectively accommodates future plans for I-85, and offers enhanced safety for both motorists and pedestrians.

“Many times in our business the best feedback is no feedback,” says Black. “Since the new SR 324 bridge has been open to traffic, there have only been two minor accidents reported—neither resulting in injuries—through this section of roadway, and no crashes on the bridge. So there have been no reported safety problems like the ones that previously hampered the corridor. All parties involved have identified that it was a successful project, and that it has a good legacy in the county.”

As a result of this success, Gwinnett County has asked GS&P to develop a concept for making SR 324 a full-service interchange with I-85. Due to GS&P’s innovative design solutions, minimal work will be required to the existing bridge or roadway to accommodate such a full-service exchange.▪

The bridge was constructed with an unobstructed center span allowing for flexibility in configuring the future travel lanes on the widened I-85.

The increased length of the new bridge required a special retaining wall to hold back the existing roadway fill.

The existing two-lane bridge was kept open to maintain the flow of traffic during construction.

Transforming

Tennessee for Tomorrow

State of Tennessee: Transforming Tennessee for Tomorrow (T3)

F

Commissioner Steven Cates

Location

Tennessee

Market

Corporate + Urban Design

Services

Construction Administration Interior Design Planning Workplace Strategy Signage and Wayfinding

team PIC Jack E. Weber, IIDA, MCR, LEED AP PM Kelly Knight Hodges, NCIDQ, LEED AP Pp Jen Howard Murphy, IIDA, LEED AP Pd Erin A. Schumacher, NCIDQ, Associate AIA

Pd Claire Claytor PD Cassie Welch PC William C. Mays

Jim Alderman, SEGD Kelly M. Cathey, AIA Martha T. Fox, IIDA, NCIDQ, LEED AP E. Michele McMinn, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, EDAC

Michelle M. Oakley, IIDA, LEED AP David P. Park G. Mike Summers

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“While the primary goal was consolidating space, the secondary objective was to give people a much nicer work environment where they could be more productive.”

—Jack Weber

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Haslam, the comprehensive workplace strategy and master planning initiative would transition more than 1 million square feet of leased space into a more efficient use of space within state-owned facilities by following the strategies established during the pilot.

“We initially worked on the pilot program with state leadership, including the Commissioner of General Services, Steven Cates, to evaluate new workplace standards and provide innovative ideas for how the state utilized its space,” explains Jack Weber, GS&P senior interior designer and principal-in-charge on the project. “As the pilot progressed, Commissioner Cates was also working on putting together a plan to consolidate the state’s real estate, which became Project T3. As a result of the pilot, the commissioner asked GS&P to partner with the state to work on the project.

“The state’s extremely aggressive schedule was the primary challenge.

The goal was to consolidate more than 12,000 people in less than two years, which not only involved moving people, but also included extensive renovations to spaces, eliminating much of the previous hard-walled office environment, and transitioning staff into a more open and collaborative atmosphere.

“A tremendous change to such a large number of employees meant that we had to pay particularly close attention to how we could move that many people with as little disruption as possible— and within such a narrow window of time.”

S tate o f T e n n essee : T ra n sf o rmi n g T e n n essee f o r T o m o rr o w ( T 3 )

or decades, State of Tennessee workplaces had evolved without a formal strategy for managing real estate efficiency. Without an official plan, these workplaces had become outdated, cluttered and inefficient, often isolating agencies from one another. As time progressed and agency missions changed, often their space needs within state-owned buildings increased or lessened dramatically. Contractions usually meant leaving significant amounts of underutilized space in buildings.

Growth meant moving into leased space, which only resulted in further space inefficiencies and diminished interaction between agencies in state buildings. Consequently, Tennessee was spending close to $40 million each year on leased space, while approximately 1 million square feet of available state real estate stood vacant or vastly underutilized.

As part of a master planning project, the Tennessee Department of General Services began evaluating all buildings occupied by the state— both owned and leased—looking for ways to improve real estate utilization.

With the need to increase efficiency, GS&P was asked to lead a workplace strategy process and pilot project for the central procurement office. The goal was to create a more efficient, effective, open and modernized floor plan with an increase in shared spaces, such as enclaves and collaborative areas. The pilot project would serve as a future workplace example for all state agencies.

Due to the pilot’s success, GS&P was selected to help undertake a massive real estate consolidation effort known as Project T3: Transforming Tennessee for Tomorrow. Spearheaded by Tennessee Gov. Bill

Client

State of Tennessee

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Existing facility studies, presented and distributed a workworkplaces to allow space for agenSPACE NEEDS DIAGRAM: METRO CENTER online surveys and staff interview cies moving from leased facilities; place strategy guideline document data were evaluated, and it became and providing increased interaction that informed state employees of the evident to the team that the large between employees and the various project goals and upcoming changes. concentration of state agencies in state agencies.

Through this document—along with the downtown Nashville area showed “Generally speaking, the worktown hall meetings, videos and other the greatest need and potential for place hadn’t been touched for demeans of mass communication—the improvement. Recommendations cades,” says Weber.

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Developing a prototypical floor plan for each building takes into account building floor plate design; structural bay size and spacing of columns; proportions of interior and exterior space; and dimensions from the central core to the building perimeter. These elements inform appropriate circulation paths, location of walled spaces and open spaces.

Formal and Informal Meeting Spaces: Located throughout, providing increased opportunity for ad-hoc meetings and collaboration

Workstations: Located near the perimeter for access to natural light and increased circulation

Satellite and Centralized Copy/ Print/Break Areas: Centrally located to foster community among staff

Private Offices: Located on two sides of perimeter near staff

Creating a Better Workplace for access to their peers. The building’s perimeter is both the warmest and/or coldest zone in the building because of its proximity to the glass, so another reason for perimeter circulation aisles was about maximizing employee comfort. An equally important aspect of maintaining continuous circulation was that it allowed for increased views and daylighting.

The fewer objects bisecting the glass, the more open it appears.

“Previously, agencies had their own suites, conference rooms, breakrooms and copy areas. With this new strategy, these areas are shared by any and all agencies occupying the floor. Fewer walls separate agencies from each other, which has led to a tremendous increase in their interaction with one another.”

To offset the perceived increase in noise levels, panel fabrics and ceiling tiles with increased absorptive characteristics were used, as well as a sound-masking system to provide additional ambient noise covering normal speech ranges.

—Commissioner SteveN Cates

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“This project focused on capturing underutilized ‘me’ space and allocating it to ‘we’ spaces that can greatly benefit everyone.”

S tate o f T e n n essee : T ra n sf o rmi n g T e n n essee f o r T o m o rr o w ( T 3 )

As part of Project T3, Gov. Haslam sought to enhance office spaces so employees were afforded the opportunity to work in an up-to-date environment that allowed them to better serve the people of Tennessee.

To bring this environment to life, the prototypical floor plan for each building took into account floor plate organization, the structural bay size and spacing of columns, the proportions of interior and exterior space, and the dimensions from the central core to the building perimeter. These elements ultimately informed appropriate circulation paths and the location of both walled and open spaces.

“The design team kept the offices on only short ends of the building,” explains Weber. “When there’s a need for additional offices we can stack them away from the perimeter circulation corridor. Maintaining continuous circulation at the perimeter was a central goal for a number of reasons: most importantly, to promote access to other employees, eliminating travel down dead ends

Rolling Out the Consolidation Encompassing approximately 20 state buildings across Tennessee— and roughly the same number of government agencies—the phased rollout of the project started with the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower (originally acquired by the state in 1994), and included buildings in Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville.

In addition to updating and consolidating agency workplaces, the design team updated public spaces—such as entry and elevator lobbies, corridors, restrooms and shared meeting centers—to today’s standards for Class A office buildings.

Projected to save Tennessee $100 million over the next decade, Project T3: Transforming Tennessee for Tomorrow reduces the state’s overall real estate footprint by 1 million square feet, and transitions its employees from outmoded, inefficient workspaces into a user-friendly, collaborative environment that can easily adapt to meet the state’s changing needs.

“We’ve provided the state with the right design solution,” says Weber, “which is reflected in the feedback we’re starting to get from employees who really like the more open and contemporary environment.”

“Our employees have been pleasantly surprised with their new space and have really embraced the new standards,” reports Commissioner Cates. “They’re feeling better about coming to work as it’s cleaner and more inviting.

“Most people relate efficiency to square feet per person. However, efficiency is not just about saving space; it’s also about using space more wisely. This project focused on capturing underutilized ‘me’ space and allocating it to ‘we’ spaces that can greatly benefit everyone.”▪

Before

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T3 is projected to save Tennessee $100 million and 1 million square feet of real estate.

S tate o f T e n n essee : T ra n sf o rmi n g T e n n essee f o r T o m o rr o w ( T 3 )

The William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower served as the pilot project for T3.

Twenty-five floors were renovated, five at a time. Employees benefit from a cleaner and more inviting work space.

Outpatient Medical Complex of Today, Inpatient Hospital of Tomorrow University of Florida Health Jacksonville

Client

Landmark Healthcare Facilities, LLC

Location

Jacksonville, Florida

Market

Healthcare

Services

Architecture Environmental Graphics Interior Design Site Design

team PIC Joseph F. Thompson, AIA, LEED AP PM Mark C. Meatte, AIA, ACHA, LEED AP PP Brian J. Schulz, AIA, LEED AP PC Michael L. Compton, LEED AP BD+C PC Ray A. York, Jr. PD Kevin K. S. Kim, AIA PD James R. Kolb, AIA, LEED AP ID Carolyn Fleetwood Blake, IIDA, LEED AP ID Penny J. Houchens, IIDA, LEED AP ID Sarah A. Rink, IIDA

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I

n 2006, the University of Florida set out to develop plans for a new community hospital in North Jacksonville, the only part of the Greater Jacksonville area without an acute care medical facility. The hospital would not only provide medical services desperately needed in northern Duval County, but also give the area a much-needed economic boost by creating new jobs.

“UF Health Jacksonville is part of the University of Florida health system,” explains Joe Thompson, managing principal of GS&P’s Jacksonville office and principalin-charge on the project. “It’s comprised of a network of primary and specialty care centers, an academic health center, and three UF Health colleges where doctors complete their medical residency program.

It’s a very large facility located in downtown Jacksonville, and the client wanted to build a new hospital on the north side of town—which is projected to grow by more than 7 percent over the next five years—to add to its existing services.”

UF Health Jacksonville envisioned a facility that would start as a bedless hospital, allowing for eventual expansion into a full-service acute care hospital.

“The long-range plan is for a 100-bed hospital that can be built out into a 300-bed facility,” continues Thompson. “However, the project is starting with a bedless facility that’s a combination of hospital and medical office space. The future inpatient bed tower can be connected to the side of the ambulatory center. So the entire campus will ultimately be a combined inpatient/outpatient hospital.”

The project’s first phase is designed as a six-story, 200,000-squarefoot ambulatory care and medical

office complex that houses physicians’ offices (incorporating both UF Health and community private physicians) on the building’s top four floors. The clinical services—consisting of an emergency department, urgent care, imaging services, women’s health services, operating rooms, cardiac cath labs and interventional radiology—is located below the MOB on the building’s first two floors.

GS&P’s design solution faithfully adheres to the phased plan, as well as the primary goals outlined by the client, including: creating an environment where both community physicians and UF Health physicians could practice side by side; eliminating unnecessary barriers between departments to reduce staff redundancy and increase staffing efficiency; integrating technology; and creating an economically sustainable facility.

Future Bed Tower (100 Beds)

Future Bed Tower (100 Beds)

Future MOB 1

Future Bed Tower (100 Beds)

Future MOB 2

Streamlining Workflow and Function Aware that operational planning and programming would be critical to the success of the new North Jacksonville campus, the client requested that the operational planning include best practice models that not only met the expectations of the community, but also its physicians. To meet this pivotal benchmark, the team developed a custom design solution that focused on creating a truly integrated patientand customer-centered healthcare delivery system that planned for future growth.

Stage II recovery perspective.

“The client desired an economically sustainable facility that could operate efficiently—and that’s exactly what we’ve designed the hospital to do,” says Thompson.

To eliminate unnecessary barriers between departments, reduce staff redundancy and increase staffing efficiency, departments within the hospital were designed to be flexible and boundaries were eliminated.

The first-floor layout features zones for rapid assessment, emergent care, patient observation, infusion therapy,

PAT, electrocardiogram, PFT, lab/ draw and outpatient nursing, all within a single universal care unit. As demand increases, less acute functions will migrate to the upper MOB floors to increase capacity for higher acuity care. Primary departments were designed to be open-ended with connection points already established for future growth.

On the second floor, the interventional suite design supports the evolving nature of clinical procedures. These range from minimally

invasive surgery to image-guided and endovascular procedures. The creation of flex space between each key room permits the continued, logical adaptation and evolution of these interventional spaces. Renovation can take place within the footprint of each suite, allowing the rest of the department to continue functioning during construction. Radiology, CT and future diagnostic equipment will have varying requirements for shielding and support space. However, the construction footprint can be limited

and not disrupt adjacent areas. A modular room was established to meet the needs of DEXA imaging, mammography, nuclear medicine and ultrasound.

“When you think about healthcare on a fundamental level, 80 percent of it is delivered in an outpatient manner,” says Jim Kolb, GS&P senior designer.

“But typically—as an industry—we build hospitals around the inpatient environment and connect all the services to the inpatient environment. So by connecting the clinical space more directly to the outpatient service line, we are essentially addressing the nature of where healthcare is heading, which is reduced hospitalizations.”

“We are essentially addressing the nature of where healthcare is heading, which is reduced hospitalizations.”

—Jim Kolb

Emergency department exam room perspective.

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Meeting Physicians’ and Patients’ Expectations

1

1. Main lobby. 2. Information zone: private areas in the lobby provide convenient access to technology for patients and visitors.

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drawcard in attracting top-tier physicians,” adds Mark Meatte, GS&P principal and senior healthcare planner.

“Physicians will have the opportunity to move in to a medical office complex that has the latest technologies and all the clinical services of a full-service hospital—from interventional to diagnostic capabilities, and that should offer a remarkable convenience for their patients.”

“A patient’s impression of a healthcare provider begins before they ever set foot on campus,” says Thompson, “and we’ve designed the campus to have the aesthetics of a five-star hotel. The site’s landscaping will have a beautiful park-like quality, and when patients and visitors arrive on-site, they’ll be welcomed by simplified and intuitive wayfinding, which equals a very positive patient experience. The main lobby area has high-end finishes and excellent daylighting, and throughout the medical complex we’ve worked a lot of natural light into the clinical space and the physicians’ offices.”

Integrating cutting-edge technology into the building was yet another key design driver aimed at augmenting the overall patient experience. New technologies incorporated into the facility—such as point-of-care registration, kiosks and real-time location systems that can track assets, personnel and/or patients—all add up to an environment that enhances a patient’s hospital stay, and ultimately accelerates their healing process.

U n i v ersity o f F l o rida H ealth J ac k s o n v ille

With UF Health and community physicians occupying the same floors in the new medical office complex, it was imperative that the design team create an environment where these physicians could practice side by side.

“The purpose of having community physicians and UF Health physicians working together in the MOB was to strike up a good balance of doctors with diverse specializations,” says Thompson. “Situating the MOB on top of the two hospital floors was an innovative move for UF Health, and it’s an attractive model for physicians. For instance, a physician can see a patient in his or her office on the sixth floor, and if imaging services or blood work is required, the patient can easily access the hospital below via elevator.”

“It’s also going to be the only Class A medical building in that part of town, and that’s going to be a huge

Creativity Beyond the Clinical Along with creating a visually impressive campus that could be clearly seen from Interstate 95, the team was charged with creating a design that aesthetically reflected UF Health.

“To support their market capture, the client desired a sophisticated, forward-thinking architecture that represented their leading-edge healthcare, as well as the UF Health physician group and their expertise,” says Kolb. “We started with a design charrette that created a parti for the exterior of the building, and then worked very diligently to extend that idea into the interior and landscape designs. The concept was an

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abstraction of what you would see in the salt marshes of the region. We took that abstraction and expanded it throughout the planning, the palettes and the patterns. That same geometry was extended into the central garden, so you can see the direct relationship. In the end, we came up with an extremely cohesive solution that ties all of the disciplines together.

“We also tried to incorporate every sustainable attribute that would not add cost. One of those features was the central garden, which is a focal point consisting of three primary zones. There’s an area that opens up into the dining room and creates an

exterior dining room, a second zone that has a contemplative, quiet space and a final zone dedicated to a fitness center designed for the families of patients and staff, which is fairly unique in a medical office complex.

It opens up into an exterior exercise room, which we put out in the central garden, and several areas within the building will look down onto that.

We’ve also created a half-mile exercise track around the perimeter of the site, so there was certainly an aspect of looking at the community’s health and wellness and making that a visible attribute of the project.”

1 Top: Views from the cafĂŠ into the central garden are designed to provide biophilic support.

Above: The central garden captures the same geometry used in the interiors and exteriors of the building, and provides three distinct zones: dining, contemplative and fitness.

Right: 1. The exercise track provides health and wellness options to members of the community.

2. The central garden.

2

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With the opening of the ambulatory care and medical office complex, UF Health is set to become the region’s first-choice provider for primary and secondary medical services as it continues to expand and add services in the years to come.

“We’ve ultimately designed a facility that delivers the client’s message,” says Kolb. “Architecture is essentially a billboard with very few words, and this building speaks for UF Health’s promise, which is to provide the highest caliber stateof-the-art care in a supportive and nurturing manner.”▪

“Architecture is essentially a billboard with very few words, and this building speaks for UF Health’s service promise.”

—Jim Kolb

USF Health MORSANI college of medicine

is the best

Medicine

One of the graduate schools of the University of South Florida’s USF Health conglomerate, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine has played a leading role in changing how medical schools teach physicians of the future. Nationally recognized for its innovative curriculum, the college enrolled its charter class in 1971.

Limited in terms of teaching space, gathering areas and layout, the College’s circa 1970s buildings struck a sharp contrast to its progressive doctrine. Eager to create a highly functional new environment for its renowned medical program, USF Health selected GS&P to transform three separate campus buildings into vibrant and engaging spaces for learning and teaching.

From the finishes to the layouts, everything was extremely outdated in the existing buildings,” says Lauren LOCATION Rasys, GS&P interior designer and Tampa, Florida project coordinator. “The buildings themselves were also very old, so MARKET we had to deal with low ceilings and poor lighting, as well as HVAC and Healthcare mechanical problems. But the overall layout of each building ultimately SERVICES gave us some freedom to work with.”

Architecture Covering more than 25,000 Civil Engineering square feet, the wide-ranging project Construction Administration involved the renovation of multiple Construction Documents spaces within the College, including Furniture extensive upgrades to the existing auGeneral Contractor ditorium; the conversion of lab space Interior Design into functional teaching classrooms; MEP the creation of interaction areas and Structural Engineering lounge spaces for students; and restroom upgrades. GS&P’s scope of work also encompassed a compreTEAM hensive wayfinding approach and PIC Jeff Talka, AIA a design that would incorporate PM, ID Jacqueline Russo, IIDA, LEED AP branding and a new image into the PC Lauren Rasys, IIDA renovated buildings.

PD Catherine Grimm, IIDA, LEED AP Principal goals for the project included providing highly adaptable spaces that could easily transform from lecture mode to collaboration mode, and improved comfort within the classrooms to enhance performance and interaction among students and staff. Another key objective was incorporating technology that “We are thrilled that the supported a varenovations have created not riety of tools that students use with only a dynamic, high-energy in today’s learning environment that will attract the environment.

“One of USF best-of-the-best medical students, Health’s primary but also a facility that supports focus areas was the inclusion of the emerging, cutting-edge technology,” says technologies of modern Rasys, “and there was no technology medical education.” in the auditorium whatsoever. It was — Stan Douglas, USF Morsani College of very 1970s and so Medicine Assistant Vice President Client

The University of South Florida Health

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out-of-date that the entire building required a complete gut and renovation before we could even think about anything else.”

In need of an extreme makeover, the College’s auditorium and its steeply sloped floor was one of the first areas to be addressed.

“The auditorium’s floor was previously ramped, so we replaced it with a more functional, multitiered approach,” says Rasys. “The building can now be set up as one massive lecture hall or divided into classrooms by using separation walls that automatically descend from the ceiling. The benefit of using tiered flooring, as opposed to keeping the existing slanted floor, is that it stops the separation walls at specific levels and helps separate each classroom.”

In addition to the tiered flooring and descending partitions, the auditorium’s demonstration area was in-filled to create a platform to replace an impractical existing pit that was previously used for teaching.

These innovative adaptations allow for better sight lines and easier access for learning and teaching.

“It was extremely important to USF Health that we improve student engagement by providing those clear sight lines,” stresses Rasys.

“Students can now clearly see who’s speaking, which automatically helps them stay involved. The auditorium is also set up for distancing learning, so not only can a guest speaker be seen on-screen at other campuses, but they can see the students as well.

We wanted to incorporate as much interactive and distance learning into the auditorium as possible, and we worked closely with an AV consultant to make this happen.”

Power and data were also integrated into the auditorium’s table tops, as well as microphones that allow students’ questions to be clearly heard, even from the back of the auditorium.

The flexibility of the classrooms was achieved through tremendous research. This installation of operable partitions, which descend from the ceiling, is the longest length that the manufacturer has completed to date.

U S F health M o rsa n i c o llege o f medici n e

The setting can be used as a single lecture hall or subdivided into five separate classrooms depending on the teaching method.

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Creating Flexible and High-tech Spaces Also in need of a comprehensive overhaul was the College’s Group Learning department.

“The classrooms in Group Learning were originally set up in a lab-type atmosphere so they were very sterile,” says Rasys. “To maximize flexibility within the existing footprint, we took out every wall in that space and added operable partitions that divide a large space into smaller classrooms.

Basically, one half of Group Learning has large classroom setups with partitions. The other half features very intimate classrooms that can be used for smaller classes or study groups.”

Spaces need to be diverse to accommodate various teaching and learning styles.

The classrooms were designed to maximize flexibility within the existing footprint by utilizing operable partitions.

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Mobile, ergonomic seating was utilized throughout the classrooms in order to minimize pressure points, support posture and promote student interaction. Tables that can easily be moved and rearranged were also used to maximize flexibility and support various learning and teaching styles.

In between the classrooms, dynamic huddle and casual meeting spaces were incorporated into the design, allowing impromptu collaboration and study.

“The collaborative meeting spaces feature vibrant lounge furniture, and each meeting area is completely different,” says Rasys. “Some areas

feature bench-style seating. Other spaces include colorful tables and chairs.”

Further improving the use of campus real estate, the GS&P team devised a design solution to turn lab space into high-tech classrooms featuring audio-visual equipment, computers and flat-screen televisions.

“The anatomy lab space needed a major facelift,” says Rasys. “There’s only so much you can do with a sterile environment like that. But we added color to the walls and the floors and greatly increased the technology in there, which makes it extremely different from the old lab setup.

Energy-efficient lighting creates a bright, natural environment.

Can you find the differences between these two spaces?

To maximize flexibility, all walls were removed and operable partitions that divide the space into smaller classrooms were installed.

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The floors include vivid, energetic colors, and the layout facilitates interaction of all student areas.

“In the new space, there’s a camera above the instructor who’s using a cadaver to teach the students. This not only gives the students the opportunity to view the procedure on flatscreen TVs, but it also allows them to remain at their tables with their own cadavers, keeping the learning experience as interactive and handson as possible.”

Another of USF Health’s primary goals was the seamless incorporation of its logo throughout the interior environments to reinforce the school’s branding and identity.

“That was the fun part of the design,” says Rasys. “We came up with several different concepts on how best to feature their logo, and ultimately decided to incorporate it throughout the glass and wall graphics.”

The team also designed a complete wayfinding system that included directional and informational signage and graphics. Crisp patterns, oversized graphics and vibrant colors were used to motivate students to connect and get inspired.

U S F health M o rsa n i c o llege o f medici n e

Comfortable students are engaged students. Classrooms were built to maximize flexibility and interaction.

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The team designed dynamic huddle and casual meeting spaces throughout the Group Learning facility. These spaces allow impromptu collaboration and optional study environments.

U S F health M o rsa n i c o llege o f medici n e

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“We’ve created a fun, comfortable and functional environment for students and teachers alike,” says Jacqui Russo, GS&P senior interior designer and principal of the corporate design team in Tampa. “It’s also a more supportive environment that makes everybody feel a little bit more special and more encouraged to collaborate because they’re in a creative environment. It’s a bonus for the instruc“We’ve created a fun, tors, too, because it gives them a fresh start with comfortable and their students in a new functional environsetting that’s not drab or outdated.” ment for students

and teachers alike.”

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Once in dire need of func—Jacqui Russo tional and aesthetic upgrades, the newly renovated USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is now set to attract the world’s best medical students. With a vastly improved image that fully represents the national stature of its medical program, the College can proudly boast a world-class facility to host its world-class program.

“The College’s previous facilities had a vintage 1970s look and clear limitations,” says Stan Douglas, assistant vice president of operations and facilities management for USF Health. “We are thrilled that the renovations have not only created a dynamic, high-energy environment that will attract the best-of-the-best medical students, but also, a facility that supports the emerging, cutting-edge technologies of modern medical education.”▪

Crisp patterns, oversized graphics and vibrant colors were used to motivate students to connect and get inspired.

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

V

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anderbilt University’s Rand Hall serves as the primary dining facility for one of the nation’s finest universities. Located at the heart of the historic campus, it’s been said that “all roads lead to Rand Hall,” with dense foot traffic converging from multiple directions and main sidewalks terminating at the building. Originally built in 1953, Rand Hall has endured multiple vertical and horizontal additions over the years, resulting in a confusing building that was notorious for its circulation issues. In 2000, Rand Hall was fully connected to the adjacent Sarratt Hall, which was built in 1974. However, joining the two long-standing buildings never resolved the chronic circulation issues and only added to the chaotic atmosphere.

When Vanderbilt Bookstore vacated Rand Hall, it became the catalyst for long-awaited change. Poised to expand into this valuable campus real estate, Vanderbilt selected GS&P to devise a master plan and execute the comprehensive 75,000-squarefoot renovation.

Client

Vanderbilt University

LOCATION

Nashville, Tennessee

MARKET

Corporate + Urban Design

SERVICES

Architecture Building Information Modeling (BIM) Environmental Graphic Design Interior Design Master Planning

TEAM PIC, PM Patrick Gilbert, AIA, LEED AP PP Kelly M. Cathey, AIA PC William C. Mays PD Jeffrey W. Kuhnhenn, AIA, LEED AP PD Jack E. Weber, IIDA, MCR, LEED AP ID Martha T. Fox, IIDA, NCIDQ, LEED AP

To get the most out of the prime location, Vanderbilt solicited the input of almost 1,500 students via surveys and focus groups to determine what types of spaces would be best utilized at the center of campus. The students ultimately selected a new student center, space for student services, food services and a campus convenience store.

Given the all-encompassing nature of the renovation, the GS&P design team established fundamental goals in an effort to keep the project focused. These key objectives included correcting circulation issues; renovating and expanding the dining center; creating a student center, convenience store and much-needed space for student services; and through it all, conveying a distinctly Vanderbilt University message.

“We’ve worked with Vanderbilt Campus Dining for 15 years in the Rand Hall building,” says Patrick

G. Mike Summers

Left: The dining center servery area had not been updated since the ‘90s.

Above: This first phase of the two-phase project involved gutting the existing dining center to the shell with the exception of the GS&Pdesigned Chef James Bistro (above)—a 2,000-square-foot, retail-style restaurant located within the same space. Right: Renovated servery designed to utilize curves and enhance flow.

Gilbert, GS&P senior architect and principal-in-charge on the project.

“Since then, we’ve had about 10 different projects in the same facility.

Over the years, we realized that traffic patterns within the building needed to be streamlined. A large number of paths and sidewalks on campus led to Rand Hall, and in some cases major sidewalk systems actually put you through the building, so there was a lot of cross traffic.

“The perfect storm came together when Vanderbilt Campus Dining was able to combine efforts with the Sarratt Student Center and the two entities controlled enough of the real estate in the building to effect change. At the very same time, the campus bookstore vacated and moved to West End Avenue, basically leaving an empty department store in the center of the campus, which we referred to as ‘the corner of Main and Main.’”

A Window of Opportunity Coordinating with Vanderbilt Campus Planning, Vanderbilt Campus Dining and the Office of the Dean of Students, the GS&P design team developed an aggressive, phased design schedule—starting with the renovation and expansion of the dining center—that would allow students to leave for summer break and return to a brand new dining facility in the fall.

“We had a window of opportunity to complete the first phase of construction and also allow Vanderbilt Campus Dining to get the building operational for the fall semester,” says Gilbert. “This is the primary dining center on campus, and it’s basically the location for all of the lunchtime traffic. Our goal was to have the dining servery and the

main dining rooms completed between May 15 and August 1—and we achieved that.”

This first phase of the two-phase project involved gutting the existing dining center to the shell with the exception of the GS&P-designed Chef James Bistro—a 2,000-square-foot, retail-style restaurant located within the same space. Extremely popular with students, the look and feel of the award-winning bistro was to play a vital part in the expansion and renovation.

“It was very important that we add curves to the new servery to help with the overall flow,” explains GS&P interior designer Martha Fox. “So we took our cues from the Chef James Bistro and we connected the new servery to that.”

“We expressly created those curves so that when we removed a dish drop that was in the way, we

could keep that curve going,” adds Gilbert. “It creates a sense of movement so it’s not a static space. We also had to play with the psychology of design to make you feel comfortable with a lot of people in a relatively small space. The curves help give the impression of more space.”

Accents such as wall tile along with flooring patterns also help pick up the transition between the Chef James Bistro and the new servery.

Detailed in yellows and greens to enhance the appearance of food, the new servery and dining area improves circulation and offers students a firstrate culinary experience in a warm and inviting setting that includes an exciting new dining concept for the facility—made-to-order pizza, baked fresh in Rand Lounge.

“It creates a sense of movement so it’s not a static space. We also had to play with the psychology of design to make you feel comfortable with a lot of people in a relatively small space. The curves help give the impression of more space.”

—Patrick Gilbert

Going with the Flow

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To remedy overarching circulation issues that had hampered traffic flow within Rand Hall for years, the design team devised a primary circulation system typically reserved for a different type of traffic.

“After the sidewalk system came to a dead end at the Rand building, you had nowhere else to go but through it,” explains Gilbert. “Traffic came in and filtered through the dining room and the servery and then back out again. There was an existing corridor, but it was not well defined.

Our No. 1 priority was to fix internal circulation. So we used a planning system like you would for highways in the form of an intuitive ‘super highway’ corridor system that went through the building logically so you would naturally stay on the path. But there were a lot of protrusions along the way that we had to tear down.”

To establish a clear path of travel on the building’s main level, an existing vestibule and dish room were removed. Tile flooring was installed to define the corridor, an existing stairwell was removed and a new monumental stair was relocated to access the upper floor. To take advantage of campus views, additional windows were added in key areas.

“The space before was just not inviting,” says Gilbert. “A staircase

in the servery was creating a lot of diagonal cut through, so we removed it to prohibit people from taking that route. In return, we created a corridor system that is very well defined, and there is literally a light at the end of the tunnel now. And people automatically want to head toward the light.”

Once in place, the super highway corridor system gave the design team a framework “WE USED A PLANNING to build upon, allowing them to make individual SYSTEM LIKE YOU WOULD FOR developments along the HIGHWAYS IN THE FORM OF way, such as the addition of two elongated stretchAN INTUITIVE ‘SUPER HIGHWAY’ es of café-height countertop, located just off CORRIDOR SYSTEM THAT WENT the corridor, to further THROUGH THE BUILDING prevent cut through.

“It’s all about keepLOGICALLY SO YOU WOULD ing people on the road,” NATURALLY STAY ON PATH.” says Gilbert. “We’re either literally keeping —Patrick Gilbert them on the road or we’re suggesting they stay on the road—and it works. People are using that main circulation path now. It acknowledges that you are connected to the campus at so many points. Every time you come in a major entrance you’re on the highway.

Creating that corridor system fixed the circulation issues.”

Tile flooring was installed to define the corridor, and a new monumental stair was constructed to access the upper floor.

A clear path of travel on the main level was established so that every time you come in a major entrance, you’re on a super highway.

NEW MAIN LEVEL CIRCULATION

Before: When the sidewalk system ended, traffic would build up through the dining hall.

After: A well-defined super highway corridor system was built to create a clear path of travel.

Va n derbilt U n i v ersity R a n d H all

Previous MAIN LEVEL CIRCULATION

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Before: The exposed roof. After: A new connecting corridor was added across the roof.

Unifying Spaces

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The second phase of the extensive project encompassed the new student center, the campus convenience store and space for student services. Since the upper floor consisted of two spaces that were separated by a roof with no physical connection between them, an enclosed connecting corridor was added across the roof. Additionally, a monumental stair was constructed between the two floors to further increase connectivity.

With Rand Hall, Sarratt Hall and the former campus bookstore unified, the first floor of the empty bookstore could be transformed into the new student center, and its upper level converted into a space for student services. This extreme makeover, however, did not come without a few surprises.

“The old bookstore was like a windowless department store that was essentially its own box,” reflects Gilbert. “It was a separate, two-story

structure. To get to the second floor you had to use an internal stair within the bookstore, but it didn’t connect to anything else. We knew the building had incurred multiple additions over the years, but we really didn’t know how many or exactly how they’d been added on.

“We discovered that the bookstore was originally just the one story.

When the second floor was added, a complete roof was left in place and a new floor was placed on top of the roof, so there was a lot of stuff we had to cut through.

“We also learned that when the bookstore had been added onto multiple times the column grids didn’t align, and there were a plethora of columns within the space that was to become the new student center.

No one realized this building had so many additions, but it was our job to figure out how to knit it all back together.”

To address this unexpected challenge, the design team came up with a unique zone concept that created a brand new purpose for the existing columns.

“We decided to work with the columns,” explains Gilbert, “and we ended up creating flexible seating around them in different zones, which worked extremely well.”

Designed for LEED certification, the new 7,000-square-foot student center includes a multipurpose performance area with tiered seating that operates as a food service and study area by day, and transforms into an entertainment venue at night.

Multiple windows were added to the space to provide daylight and views of the surrounding campus. New mechanical and lighting systems were also added, along with new water-efficient restrooms.

A monumental stair was constructed to provide access between the two floors.

CAMPUS STORE

The new campus store included black and gold throughout the tile flooring, wall coverings and graphics.

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“We created a student center that can be whatever the students need it to be,” says Gilbert. “This is the center of campus, and we wanted to provide the students with a place to ‘see and be seen.’ We also made it extremely flexible, so as student tastes and desires change, the space can flex with them.”

On the upper floor, new meeting spaces and offices designed to enhance the Vanderbilt student experience provide student services with the additional space they so desperately required.

“Students can now come here to conduct meetings for their campus organizations,” says Gilbert. “They also have office space and a large, flexible area where they can work on creative projects. We completely closed off student services from the floor below so we didn’t have the noise of the dining center coming up into the space, but we still managed to make it feel light and bright like the floor below.”

SARRATT PROMENADE

Also light and airy and offering school supplies, snacks, assorted beverages and all things Vanderbilt, the new campus convenience store, located on the northeast corner of Rand Hall’s main level, strikes a distinct contrast between the former occupants of that space.

“Here you had a primary retail location on campus and it was a set of toilets and an enclosed stairwell,” says Gilbert. “Now, not only do we have light coming through the new stairwell we’ve created, but we have light that comes through the store’s large, exterior windows, so the hallway is nicely illuminated.”

STUDENT CENTER

Approximately 7,000 square feet of open space was used for seating and a flexible live performance area.

Above: New dining concept: made-to-order pizza with a focal point oven. Selected finishes establish a cozy and intimate feel, yet coordinate with the other dining venues.

Right: Seating was tiered to provide good sight lines.

Distinctly Vanderbilt

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Throughout the newly renovated building, Vanderbilt University’s characteristic black and gold colors are aesthetically highlighted in wall coverings, custom carpets, dimensional lettering for signage, tile flooring and graphics. As a finishing touch, large-scale photographic images depicting life on campus were installed in strategic locations. The duotone wall graphics also act as visual cues that enhance wayfinding.

“It was very important, both for Campus Dining and the Sarratt Student Center as a client, to make sure the building conveyed that it was distinctly Vanderbilt,” says Fox. “And we took a lot of measures to make sure their true colors really showed.”

“It’s the heart of the campus so it had to live and breathe Vanderbilt University,” adds Gilbert. “The University is very good about photographing the campus, and they had a wonderful repertoire of images for us to choose from that were distinctively Vanderbilt University.

“We took those images and put them in as a sepia tone with a small amount of color and sprinkled them throughout the facility. We used images of the campus buildings. We used a large image of mortarboards at graduation that features the black and gold school colors. All around you are images that say, ‘this is what it’s all about.’”

A key stop on the tour route for prospective students and their parents, the newly renovated Rand Hall provides students and staff with a cohesive, comfortable and diverse space that clearly represents Vanderbilt University’s commitment to excellence and quality.

“This building needed to look and feel like Vanderbilt University, and I truly believe we’ve accomplished that,” says Gilbert. “Prior to the renovation they had a building that was simply not up to par with their competition. Today, Vanderbilt University has a building that allows them to compete at the level they need as an iconic university within the United States.”▪

Right: The innovative design solutions in this project allow university students and staff to enjoy a cohesive, organized, comfortable and diverse space. Far Right: Multiple windows were added to provide daylight and views of the campus.

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