Showcase 8

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.

Foreword from the Chairman and CEO 20|20 Research: New Headquarters Renovation A Hip New Office in a Historic Locale Cancer Specialists of North Florida — Outpatient Cancer Treatment Facility Prototype Standing Up to Cancer with a New, Inspiring Image Columbia Power & Water Systems — Service Center Renovation Creating a Welcoming Front Door to the Community of Columbia Crooked Creek Wastewater Reclamation Facility Improvements A Fresh Start HCA’s StoneSprings Hospital Center Setting a New Standard Lentz Public Health Center Recreating the Face of Public Health in Nashville Locust Grove Master Plan Sharing the Story of America’s Beginning Lower Roswell Road East: Safety and Operational Improvements A Shared Community Resource National Planning Corporation New Office Renovation Quintessentially Californian Norfolk — Comprehensive Airport Improvements Positioned to Please Passengers for Years to Come Novant Health — Haymarket Medical Center A New Paradigm in Hospital Design Sid McDonald Hall — The University of Alabama System A Striking Symbol of Growth and Unity UF Health North Meeting the Healthcare Needs of a Growing Community Credits

ARE WE PROVIDING VALUE? We should be challenging ourselves with this question on a daily basis. It’s a question that can only be truly addressed when we understand the challenges our clients are facing. And it’s a question we can only truthfully answer if we are measuring the outcomes and impacts of our design solutions.

I’m proud that as a firm, our answer to the question is a resounding “Yes.” We provide value, and we’re continuing to provide it in a multitude of ways using design strategies that result in positive impacts due to social, economic and environmental stewardship efforts. As is embedded into our Vision statement, we will continue to push ourselves to be a market leader and build value with our clients, our people and the world.

The collection of project stories found in Showcase 8 illustrates the value that our project teams were able to provide to an array of clients in order to help them achieve success. The value is showcased through environmentally conscious solutions to improve community connectivity, designs developed to improve the health and wellness of our population, and solutions that challenge the status quo and create a new normal.

Congratulations to the clients and project teams whose work is featured in this year’s collection. Please know that you’ve made a positive impact within the communities and organizations that you’ve served.

JAMES W. BEARDEN, aia C HAIRMAN AND CEO, G RES HAM, S MITH AND PARTNERS

IN HIP NEW HISTORIC OFFICE LOCALE

20|20 Research: New Headquarters Renovation

LOCATIO N

CLIENT

S E RVI CES

Nashville, Tennessee

20|20 Research

Interior Design

H

eadquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with additional offices in Miami, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, 20|20 Research is a worldwide leader in traditional and online qualitative research. Founded in 1986, the company is now considered one of the most innovative and technologically advanced firms in their industry.

Spurred by continual growth, the firm made plans to relocate its home office to a larger building in a more centralized, urban setting. 20|20’s search led them to the historic Frost Building, located in the heart of downtown Nashville.

“Once the client outgrew their existing headquarters, they looked to downtown Nashville for a place where they could stretch out and accommodate further growth,” says Jack Weber, senior interior designer and principal-in-charge on the project. “Being in an urban setting and part of downtown activities infuses renewed vitality into the company environment, which they were missing in their old setting.”

20|20’s previous facility lacked adequate space, aesthetic appeal, and sufficient accommodations and amenities for employees, clients and on-site focus groups. The client desired a more organized and efficient workspace with a more vibrant environment to attract and retain top-tier talent.

“At the client’s old office, the front lobby was too small and enclosed to accommodate all the people who filtered in for focus groups,” explains project designer Mary Raccuglia.

“The back side of the office, including the focus-group space, was very dark with no access to daylight, and the workspace was cramped with little wayfinding or efficient organization.

They were really bursting at the seams.”

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20|20’s search for a more centralized, urban location led them to the historic Frost Building in downtown Nashville.

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BREATHE & FOCUS The new 20|20 Research headquarters at the Frost Building comprises five stories and approximately 38,000 rentable square feet. The company took occupancy of the upper four floors and subleased the first floor. A key area of 20|20’s business is the facilities floor—the main attraction for clients and on-site focus groups.

“20|20 hosts clients and focus groups for extended periods of time, so the environment has a big impact on client satisfaction,” says Raccuglia.

“When they sought us out to renovate the new space, they expressed that the aesthetic needed to match their standing in the industry.”

Located on the second floor, the facilities area has an elongated reception desk that provides ample space to greet and process arriving and departing focus-group participants. Participants wait in a spacious lounge equipped with bench seating for flexible capacity.

Once focus groups are stationed in one of a variety of meeting rooms, clients observe and collect data in adjoining viewing rooms that were outfitted for comfort during long research sessions.

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“The facilities floor is all about flow and function,” explains Raccuglia. “We paid a lot of attention to the space’s intended use to allow ample room for reception and easy flow in and out.

Clients don’t want to interact with the participants for privacy reasons, which is hard to avoid if your space is too cramped and unorganized.”

Floors three through five house 20|20’s open office space for executives, IT, recruiting, administration, sales and online focus groups. Collaborative spaces interspersed throughout each floor create points of impromptu conversation, and privacy enclaves in the open circulation space provide small havens for clients or focus-group participants.

“The new office is more integrated with workstations and intermittent openings for collaboration,” says Raccuglia. “Through the wide, central corridor and circulation areas, we carved out spaces to give staff members reasons to get up and move, and provided alternative ways for people to work together.”

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TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

TYPICAL FLOOR PLATE

OPEN OFFICE & COLLABORATIVE SPACE

OPEN OFFICE & PRIVATE OFFICE SPACE

Daylight Zone

Main Circulation

Dark Zone

Dark Zone Daylight Zone

MAXIMIZING ACCESS TO DAYLIGHT

Main Circulation

This typical floor plate diagram shows how we analyzed the space in regard to daylight and used these divisions in our space planning process. We focuses all open office space and offices in the daylight zone, while break and storage functions filled the areas with less access to daylight. All employees now have optimal daylight at their desk location. Some collaborative spaces are also in the optimal daylight zone while others are centrally located in the main circulation zone.

STRATEGIES AND PROOF

Showcase 8 Entry

Focus-group participants wait in a spacious lounge equipped with bench seating for flexible capacity. An elongated reception desk provides ample space for the greeting, sign-in, paperwork and sign-out process.

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Brightly painted columns throughout the main corridor delineate between open offices and collaborative spaces.

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& MODERN Beyond its improved utility, the upgraded space has a much more appealing ambiance for employees, clients and visitors.

While 20|20 Research’s previous office had no access to daylight, the new open office space streams with natural light.

GS&P focused all open workspace and offices in areas along exterior windows on the front and sides of the building so that all employees would have access to optimal daylight right at their desks. Some collaborative spaces are also in the peak daylight zone, while others are centrally located in the main circulation area. Breakrooms and storage closets fill the areas that have less access to daylight.

“They came from such a dark space that the natural light throughout the new space is the first thing that staff and visitors comment on,” notes Weber.

“While they do have more space in the new office, the daylight makes it feel even more open.”

Because of the historic nature of the building’s architecture, floors are shaped in long rectangles and feature “marching” columns that run the length of the space. Rather than seeing these

supports as a hindrance, the design team accentuated them with bold accent colors and allowed the columns to delineate between open offices and collaborative spaces.

“We used the electric green of their logo throughout the interior design to create consistency with their brand,” says Raccuglia. “We also offered a graphic package with bright colors and clean, straightforward design, including motifs that pulled in details from the Corinthian columns outside. The graphics offer clear wayfinding and tie together the historic exterior with the modern interior. Some of those details have been incorporated, and others will be implemented in the future.”

To keep within budget, GS&P used simple materials and bright accent colors to make a big impact on the space without incurring excess expense.

“We used reclaimed wood for the accent walls, low-VOC paint on the interior surfaces, and efficient mechanical and electrical systems to adhere to regulations on energy consumption,” says Raccuglia. “The natural daylight also helps for daytime energy. The material selections, such as paint and simple wood accents, also helped steward their budget intentions wisely.”

At the previous headquarters, panels, desks and chairs were mismatched and pieced together. Thanks to smart fiscal decisions, the design team was able to choose all new furniture, which greatly added to the office’s aesthetic appeal.

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“

The transformation has had a profound impact on employee well-being...”

MARY RACCUGLIA, Project Designer

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The breakroom promotes interaction and team building, and is an enjoyable amenity for employees.

“The transformation has had a profound impact on employee well-being since it’s such a stark change from where they were before,” says Raccuglia. “The client has reported that new spaces like the breakroom have also promoted a lot of team building and positive social interaction among staff members.”

For the breakroom, the design team selected stool-height tables and chairs, dining tables, booth-style lounge seating, and a built-in desk surface in front of windows facing the city, providing a variety of seating choices.

“The breakroom has been a big hit,” says Raccuglia. “It invites people to stop in and have lunch or grab coffee.

Every time I’m over there I see people meeting over lunch or casually hanging out, talking about business or just taking a break. The client holds company meetings in that area, too, so it’s very well utilized.”

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IN A BURGEONING CITY Juxtaposing a historic façade and firstfloor lobby with a modern, vibrant interior, the new 20|20 Research headquarters serves to better accommodate not only existing staff and clientele, but also planned expansion. The firm plans to create 96 new jobs over the next four years, which will be a boon to the local economy.

“The Frost Building is on a street that was all but abandoned for some time,” notes Weber. “Moving into this historic structure is bringing life to the business district and helping to perk up that corridor.”

“A local coffee shop reported that their sales had doubled in the last six months, with a good portion of that increase coming from regulars who work at 20|20 nearby,” adds Raccuglia.

Successfully adhering to an aggressive design schedule, the entire interior renovation was planned and executed in approximately eight months. 20|20 Research’s headquarters now has a modern, eclectic interior that captures the company’s unique strengths as well as the vibe of a city very much on the move.

“Nashville definitely has a buzz about it that has attracted a lot of investment, and this project is a prime example,” says Raccuglia.

With its ample work and meeting space, and a fresh, contemporary décor that captures the company’s spirit and prestige, the new company headquarters will better serve to attract the best and the brightest from Nashville’s ever-growing talent pool. The renovation has already helped the client attract highlevel hires and new business—crucial components of long-term success.

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“Our new location has been very beneficial in attracting new clients—it’s more fun than our previous location,” says Robert Lunny, chief operating officer of 20|20 Research. “The positive investment in such a nice, new facility lets employees know we are in this for the long run and are building for success.”

GS&P takes pride in realizing its clients’ visions through thoughtful, intentional design.

“We listened to the client’s needs and delivered something that not only works well for them, but that they are very enthusiastic about,” says Raccuglia. “Their employees have been inviting friends and family to come see the space. It’s very gratifying ROBERT LUNNY, Chief Operating Officer of 20|20 Research to see a design come to life and be so enjoyed.”

“The 20|20 Research office is a cheery space that not only holds up to the competition but exceeds it,” concludes Weber. “Our recommendations have resulted in a tremendously different space from what they had been using.

We surprised them by how well our design worked.”

20 |20 RE S E ARCH: N E W H E A DQ U A R T E R S R E NO VA T IO N

“

Our new location has been very beneficial in attracting new clients—it’s more fun than our previous location.”

Moving into the Frost Building has brought new life to a nearly abandoned corridor, attracting new clients and top-tier talent to 20|20 Research.

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TE AM PIC Jack E. Weber, iida, mcr, leed ap PM Kelly Knight Hodges, ncidq, leed ap PD Mary Raccuglia, ncidq

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Cancer Specialists of North Florida Outpatient Cancer Treatment Facility Prototype

LOCATIO N

Jacksonville, Florida C LIENT

Cancer Specialists of North Florida S ERVICES

Architecture Interior Design

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or more than 30 years, Cancer Specialists of North Florida (CSNF) has provided quality cancer care to the Jacksonville community, including medical oncology, radiation oncology, gynecologic oncology, hematology and diagnostic imaging. With 30 specialists and eleven clinic locations, CSNF is the largest, private, physician-owned group in northeast Florida.

In an effort to create a replicable model for future facilities, CSNF tasked GS&P with designing a new cancer treatment facility prototype that would serve as the group’s new brand standard. The new outpatient archetype needed to improve operational efficiency, and offer an environment that was both comfortable and cutting-edge.

“The client desired a prototype for a large cancer treatment facility as well as a smaller one, so we created two different forms—a 17,000-square-foot facility and a 12,100-square-foot facility,” explains senior architect Joe Bucci. “They weren’t completely identical, but were both very similar in that they were designed with future expansion in mind to accommodate the group’s radiation oncology, medical oncology and diagnostic imaging services.”

Consistent to both facilities were components such as a linear accelerator with the ability to add a second vault, a CT simulator, exam rooms, a procedure room, a laboratory, a modular pharmacy and infusion therapy, along with staff support spaces.

Building a Brand As CSNF sought to further establish its image in the Jacksonville community, the look and feel of the new prototype was equally as important as its functionality. As senior healthcare principal Skip Yauger explains, coming up with the facility’s exterior design concept became one of the project’s biggest challenges.

“We presented a wide variety of design alternatives to the client until we hit upon something that truly resonated with them,” recalls Yauger. “They were drawn to natural materials—such as stone and wood—and at the same time

wanted the design to reflect the hightech treatment they provided without appearing institutional. So we ended up melding all those elements together.”

“Although the client liked the concept of using wood cladding, they were concerned about associated maintenance costs,” adds Bucci. “After a fair amount of research and discussion, we settled on a durable foam product that looks like

Stacked stone and faux wood wrap the structural steel to give the building the look of heavy timber construction.

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CAN CE R S PE CIALIS T S O F NO R T H F L O R IDA - O U T P A T IE NT CA N C E R TR E A TM E N T FA C I LI TY P R O TO TY P E

wood, and shows a woodgrain texture when stain is applied.”

GS&P’s final design solution for the exterior included stacked stone and faux wood wrapped around structural steel to give the building the look of heavy timber construction without the related costs.

“Another interesting challenge to this exercise is that we weren’t just

designing one facility for one location—we were creating a prototype to be replicated on different sites across the region,” says project designer Corie Baker. “How do you ensure that you’re being sensitive to that new site and that new community? Ultimately, it’s about building a brand, organizing around modules of space that can be added to expand the building, and then selecting materials and a scale that will be universally acceptable.”

THEY WERE DRAWN TO NATURAL MATERIALS—SUCH AS STONE AND WOOD—AND AT THE SAME TIME WANTED THE DESIGN TO REFLECT THE HIGH-TECH TREATMENT THEY PROVIDED WITHOUT APPEARING INSTITUTIONAL. SKIP YAUGER, SENIOR HEALTHCARE PRINCIPAL

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OUR GOAL WAS TO WELCOME THE PATIENT WITH A FEELING OF HOSPITALITY THAT STARTS IN THE WAITING ROOM AND EXTENDS THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING. CORIE BAKER, SENIOR ARCHITECT

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CAN CE R S PE CIALIS T S O F NO R T H F L O R IDA - O U T P A T IE NT CA N C E R TR E A TM E N T FA C I LI TY P R O TO TY P E

A NEW INTERIOR IDENTITY Once inside, the main waiting area sets the tone for the rest of the prototype. GS&P’s design featured wood-tone laminate, wood-look plank flooring, and wood-plank paneling to tie in the exterior design. GS&P’s interior and exterior designs position CSNF’s new facility model as both sophisticated and personal—juxtaposed goals that served to assure cancer patients they were in the best possible hands for effective, nurturing medical care.

“We wanted patients to walk in and feel confident that this facility and the doctors in it could provide quality care, but without the space looking cold and impersonal,” says Bucci.

“Our goal was to welcome the patient with a feeling of hospitality that starts in the waiting room and extends throughout the building,” adds Baker. “While the facility houses the physicians, chemotherapy and technology that treat cancer, we wanted the environment itself to also be conducive to healing. Views of nature, natural light, and a comforting environment that reduces stress are all components that support the healing process.”

From the main waiting room, glass doors on either side of the reception desk lead to a sub-wait area. This area gives staff a place to temporarily stage patients who are either waiting for test results, waiting to transition into one of the treatment areas, or waiting to set up their next appointment.

“Patient flow was a key component to the design, so the prototype was laid out to allow patients to move through the

steps of their treatment in a constant progression with little backtracking or returns to the front waiting room,” explains Bucci. “Keeping patients moving from space to space makes them feel like they are making progress, even when wait times are longer than expected.”

The sub-wait area reduces the required seating in the main waiting area, increases the turnaround time for exam rooms, and minimizes overall steps for both patients and staff. Creating the sub-wait component and exam rooms central to both radiation and medical oncology also enhances flow and operational efficiency while reducing the number of exam rooms required.

Chemotherapy infusion was located in an open space, replete with natural light and views to a butterfly garden that was designed to encourage sociability among patients. Interior finishes replicate natural textures and colors for a warm and soothing ambiance.

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CAN CE R S PE CIALIS T S O F NO R T H F L O R IDA - O U T P A T IE NT CA N C E R TR E A TM E N T FA C I LI TY P R O TO TY P E

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“When we walked through their existing facilities, the client mentioned that the majority of their patients didn’t want to be alone during chemotherapy treatment—they wanted to interact with others who were going through the same thing,” notes Baker. “This is why the infusion therapy room, where patients receive chemotherapy over long stretches of time, is one large, well-lit, cheerful area with no partitions or delineation. There’s a private room if they need it, but otherwise patients can talk to each other and see they’re in this together.”

The infusion therapy area is directly connected to the modular pharmacy, a system especially requested by the client. Pharmacy technicians prepare chemotherapy and other drugs for patient treatment in a visible, glass-walled

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space that contributes to the facility’s high-tech, modern look. Just outside the facility, patients can look through extensive glazing, which is shaded to prevent glare, onto a butterfly garden.

“We proposed a butterfly garden for the area outside the infusion therapy room as a benefit to patient healing,” says Baker. “We used native and drought-tolerant plantings to reduce the need for irrigation, so the garden is not only therapeutic for patients, but is also low-maintenance for the owners.”

CAN CE R S PE CIALIS T S O F NO R T H F L O R IDA - O U T P A T IE NT CA N C E R TR E A TM E N T FA C I LI TY P R O TO TY P E

FUTURE VAULT

SHELL SPACE/ FUTURE EXAM ROOMS

SUB-WAIT

BUTTERFLY GARDEN

RADIATION ONCOLOGY The warmth of natural materials featured in the waiting areas was brought into the linear accelerator space as well. Wood walls, backlit artwork and adjustable lighting help the patient relax during their procedure.

PHARMACY

INFUSION

A high-tech modular pharmacy develops the drugs necessary for onsite treatment.

The large, well-lit infusion area is designed so that patients can interact with others while receiving chemotherapy treatments. An exterior butterfly garden was designed to provide positive distraction and support patient healing.

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PATIENT VOLUMES THROUGH THE SMALLER AC SKINNER FACILITY EXCEEDED THE CLIENT’S EXPECTATIONS WITH AN AVERAGE OF

35 RADIATION ONCOLOGY PATIENTS AND

45 MEDICAL ONCOLOGY PATIENTS A DAY. JOSEPH BUCCI, SENIOR ARCHITECT

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INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES Like the landscape choices in the butterfly garden, GS&P incorporated passive and active sustainable design best practices into the prototype, starting with orienting the facility on a north-south axis. A large expanse of glazing on the south side brings in daylight, while the roof overhang and light-colored, reflective roofing mitigates unwanted solar heat gain. All exterior glazing is insulated low-e glass to improve thermal performance.

Sustainable features in the new CSNF facilities include clerestory windows along internal corridors that allow more natural light to filter into the building, reducing the need for traditional lighting. Doors along the corridors feature frosted glass to allow daylight to filter into additional spaces. GS&P specified LED lighting for other areas and installed room

occupancy sensors, which can be set to automatically turn lighting off when a room is unoccupied.

“The daylight infused throughout the space is key for patient satisfaction as well as energy efficiency,” says Baker. “We also used locally produced steel and concrete, as well as materials with no off-gassing or chemical residues, and durable products that won’t require extensive maintenance or frequent replacement.”

THE GOAL OF CANCER SPECIALISTS OF NORTH FLORIDA IS TO DELIVER THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEIR PATIENTS, AND OUR DESIGN ASSISTS THEM IN MEETING THIS GOAL. CORIE BAKER, SENIOR ACHITECT

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Signaling a new era for Cancer Specialists of North Florida, GS&P’s new prototype design sets the group apart from other providers, supporting CSNF’s goal of establishing a new brand and identity that inspires staff and instills confidence in patients.

“The physicians are truly excited about the new facilities and the enhanced experience they create for the patient,” says Bucci. “In the first year of operation, patient volumes through the smaller AC Skinner facility exceeded the client’s expectations with an average of 35

radiation oncology patients and 45 medical oncology patients a day—that’s more than any of their other facilities.”

Given the increased patient volumes, the client is now investigating additional sites where they can increase their market share in the region. They have also incorporated GS&P’s sub-wait design concept into their existing facilities, reporting improved operational efficiencies.

“The goal of Cancer Specialists of North Florida is to deliver the best possible care for each and every one of their patients, and our design assists them in meeting this goal,” concludes Baker. “It sets a new paradigm for the group, and creates an atmosphere that is comforting to patients and families as they go through some very difficult times.”

Overhangs take advantage of solar angles allowing only natural light in during the summer and solar heat in during the winter, reducing the overall mechanical load year-round.

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TE AM PIC Robert A. “Skip” Yauger, aia, leed ap PM Joseph A. Bucci, aia, ncarb PA, PD Corie E. Baker, aia, edac, leed ap bd+c PC Jenna Lychako ID Elisa A. Worden-Kirouac, iida, edac, leed ap

Jeffrey W. Kuhnhenn, aia, leed ap Jacqueline Maslan, iida, leed ap LouAnn Skinner

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CAN CE R S PE CIALIS T S O F NO R T H F L O R IDA - O U T P A T IE NT CA N C E R TR E A TM E N T FA C I LI TY P R O TO TY P E

creating a welcoming front door to the community of Columbia Columbia Power & Water Systems — Service Center Renovation

LOCATIO N

Columbia, Tennessee

C LIENT

Columbia Power & Water Systems (CPWS)

S ERVICES

Architecture Civil Engineering Environmental Graphics and Wayfinding Interior Design MEP Engineering Structural Engineering

in

1966, public utility company Columbia Power & Water Systems (CPWS) constructed a back-ofhouse warehouse facility in a residential neighborhood of Columbia, Tennessee, to house its material storage, construction and field services. The nondescript, low-slung brick building at the corner of Pickens Lane and Highland Avenue served as a workhorse facility not intended for public use, so function and efficiency were more important than aesthetics.

When CPWS’ downtown location was closed in 1974, the Pickens facility was commissioned for wider service, with customer interactions moved to that location. Interior accommodations—which included a lobby that was fashioned within the existing space—had to be quickly made, a parking lot and drive-thru window were added, and, as technology evolved and further services were added, new additions and modifications were implemented. Although it met the utility company’s needs at the time, the overall result was a confusing and often bland design lacking in true efficiency or any cohesive sense of aesthetics.

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COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

Before: Multiple additions resulted in a facility that was confusing and often bland.

After: The new space has a large, open waiting area and a clear path from reception to cashiers and customer service.

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The company’s new brand identity was reinforced through the use of colors and materials throughout the space.

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COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

GOALS

KEY DESIGN

1 2

Connect with the community Connect with the customer

3 4

Remedy the internal circulation issues Create “pride of place”

company rebranding

sets the stage In 2012, when CPWS launched a formal rebranding effort, designing a new Web interface and a smart, modern logo, it soon became evident that the Pickens Lane building needed a modern makeover. Following a successful renovation at Pulaski Electric System 10 years earlier, GS&P was solicited once again by the client, this time to renovate and rebrand CPWS’ physical location.

General contractor R.C. Mathews was selected to provide construction services on the project.

“When the client moved up the road to CPWS, they called us for this project,” explains Patrick Gilbert, senior architect and principal-in-charge. “They told us, ‘You know what we want—let’s get started!’”

Getting started required big-picture perspective on what was needed to bring the existing, disjointed design into holistic harmony. With that in mind, four key design goals were established: connect with the community; connect with the customer; remedy the internal circulation issues; and create “pride of place.”

“We began by looking at the building from the inside out,” says Gilbert. “We had to figure out how we could knit everything together and also determine how we could put in a circulation system—a corridor system—that made the building function from an interior perspective. Once we decided where the corridors should go, we were then able to place all the functions around that circulation system. From there, we worked out where the main entrance would be on the outside of the building and got the entrance to address the corner of Pickens and Highland.”

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“

The neutral palette of the façade gave us the opportunity to make a bright, white, modern entrance that stood out in contrast to the very ordinary context of the building.

”

Chris Hoal, 36

COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

project designer

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main entrance:

the first customer experience From the onset of the renovation, the service center’s main entrance took on critical importance. Given its inaugural function as a storage facility, the building had never boasted a dynamic entrance. The circa 1974 front entry that customers inherited was a small doorway tucked into the middle of the building’s shaded north side, hidden under a low canopy, and set immediately adjacent to—and unprotected from—the oncoming traffic exiting the drive-thru.

This translated into an entrance that was not only difficult to see, but also occasionally became hazardous when confused drivers miscalculated the turn into the parking lot.

The client’s original goal was simply to make the entrance more visible and focus the attention and budget on the interior work. However, the team advised that a more significant restructuring of the front entry—inclusive of moving the actual entrance—would provide the optimum design solution.

“A customer’s first experience with a company or utility is their approach to the building,” says project designer Chris Hoal. “Moving the entrance from the side of the building to the corner facing Pickens and Highland was extremely beneficial in terms of addressing the way most people would approach the building. You can see from the ‘before’ photos how ineffective the previous entrance was. The solution we presented to the CPWS board was to flip the entrance with the drive-thru, and they ultimately embraced that shift in budget and design priorities.”

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“It was the ‘aha’ moment to swap the drive-thru and the entrance,” adds Gilbert. “You swap those two things and everything makes sense.”

The design team’s concept was to punctuate the building façade with an entrance that not only made a dramatic statement, but left no doubt as to where the customer was to enter. Given the unremarkable nature of the existing building, the team explored ideas that would create what Gilbert calls a “shiny object,” that focal point to which eyes are inexorably drawn. That “object” for CPWS was achieved with a sweeping white portal that was cut into the red brick front.

“The neutral palette of the façade gave us the opportunity to make a bright, white, modern entrance that stood out

“

“That bold design step allows the entrance to pick up glimmers of early-morning and late-evening sunlight that would not be exhibited on the rest of the shadowed, north-facing façade,” continues Hoal. “So you get some nice, natural sunlight reflecting off that entrance.”

Also contributing to the building’s unmistakable new identity is the addition of monument signage along with the sharp, new CPWS logo, strategically placed and backlit on the building’s façade.

“This facility is a front door to the Columbia, Tennessee, community,” says Gilbert, making another compelling point about the importance of the exterior to the company’s rebranding effort as well as its social connection to the area it serves. “Everyone who is

We wanted to set the tone for a good experience from the moment you first see it.

”

Patrick Gilbert, senior architect

in contrast to the very ordinary context of the building,” explains Hoal. “When one of the client’s primary problems was entrance importance, that bright, white moment became a strength for them.”

“We made one bold move,” Gilbert agrees. “We moved the entrance, made it shiny and white, and faced it to the corner.”

COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

new to town, who has to establish power, water or Internet service, has to interface with this building. We wanted to set the tone for a good experience from the moment you first see it.”

EXISTING DRIVE-THRU

NEW ENTRANCE

EXISTING HIDDEN ENTRANCE

MOVE DRIVE-THRU

A bright, white entrance was added to draw customer attention to the main entry.

The site's circulation problems were corrected by swapping the entrance and drive-thru locations.

EXISTING

NEW

SHOWCASE

39

putting the customer first Carrying that “good experience” inside to the areas where customers and staff interact also required a rethinking of the existing space. The first step was to define clearly identifiable corridors that remedied circulation issues and allowed simple, intuitive access to necessary supplies and stations. Proper programming had to be implemented to ensure that staff who needed to work together were located adjacent to one another and in the correct place in the building.

Walls had to be strategically removed

40

to create space for the newly designed lobby and customer service areas. The overriding goal was to create a space that allowed necessary room and the aesthetic ambience to engender stressfree, easily traversed, and ultimately pleasant customer transactions, not always a simple task in a setting where tensions can run high.

“Remedying the previous tight quarters was essential,” says Gilbert. “The psychology of design is intended to defuse tension in the space. Therefore, we made sure there was adequate stack space for people coming in to pay their bills so they were not on top of each

COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

“

other on the busiest bill-paying day of the month. We also made certain there was adequate room for everyone in an organized line inside the building so customers wouldn’t be trailing out the door, placing them in a stressful situation. That was our No. 1 priority.”

The psychology of design is intended to defuse tension in the space.

Patrick Gilbert

”

Second on the design team’s priority list was the issue of customer sight lines.

“There are two things customers do in this building: they pay bills on one side with a cashier, and, perpendicular to

The new lobby’s open layout creates better sight lines and facilitates customer service interaction.

that, they sit down to establish service,” Gilbert explains. “Previously, the sight lines were really poor. If a customer was waiting to establish service, they couldn’t tell when the next customer service representative was available.

So we made sure the sight lines were good so, as you’re waiting, you can see someone waving at you to approach the counter.

“Our No. 3 priority was the comfort and security of the customer experience.

So we implemented solutions such as making the service counters an improved upon sit-down situation so they are as comfortable as possible, allowing people adequate space to open up a purse or checkbook.”

Also augmenting the end-user experience, visual separators at the customer service counter enhance customer privacy. For security reasons, glass partitions were added to the cashier windows, and glassed-in consultation rooms were created to allow stepped-up interactions to be moved to a larger space that offers both the privacy of closed doors and the security of a completely visible space.

While these changes and improvements have streamlined the process for both staff and customers, the enhanced aesthetics of the space have also contributed another element to the holistic approach of the redesign. In terms of the visual concept, the team’s goal was to play off the crisp, new CPWS logo, with its green and blue hues and sharp “electrical-to-wave” pattern, to incorporate modern branding into the look of the space. Also taken into account were the sensitivities of smartly appointing the space while keeping within a budget commensurate to a government facility. This was ably achieved with simple, modern furniture that brings in the blues and greens of the logo, the placement of an appealing wave-patterned wall behind the reception desk, and the utilization of the greens, blues and whites of the CPWS color palette on surrounding walls.

SHOWCASE

41

sustainability and economy

in even the smallest steps

Sustainability goals for the project were implemented in simple steps that included the reuse and rearrangement of the existing mechanical system, the recycling of exterior bricks in refashioning the front of the building, and the decision to use permeable pavement in the reconfigured parking area, allowing water runoff to seep naturally into the ground rather than flow into the city sewer system.

Whenever the repurposing of materials or the simplest of freshening solutions were applicable, the economy of the project was also assisted. For example, when fresh paint and new finishes were sufficient to improve an existing area, those modifications were applied. These types of measures ultimately helped the project come in under budget, allowing the client to increase scope in other areas where more costly fixes were unavoidable.

Permeable pavement was one of several sustainable solutions applied in the new design. Water runoff seeps naturally through the gravel into the ground.

42

COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

project challenges Although CPWS relocated most of its employees for the renovation, including the customer service department, enough staff remained that the office had to be kept partially operational as demolition and construction commenced. To achieve this, the design team implemented phased construction to maintain a certain amount of functionality.

Another significant challenge lie in the discovery of certain “hidden conditions” due to the age of the building, with the confluence of the many additions and renovations over the years demanding some particularly creative design solutions. Those included working around the demolition of load-bearing walls, dealing with structural oddities, and the complexity of shaping the lobby

around exterior walls that had been run through the interior of the building.

Additional design solutions comprised the installation of a sprinkler system, and cohering the different sections of the building into one seamless whole.

Other challenges existed outside the building. As Hoal explains: “Their parking was awkwardly organized. If you missed a parking space it was all oneway, so you had to exit their property, then drive back around to get to it. You couldn’t actually enter the parking field until you had physically driven beyond the building, which was very confusing for people, and very unnatural. So moving the parking lot to the front quadrant was a priority.”

SHOWCASE

43

“

With this renovation, CPWS demonstrated its commitment to put the customer first.

44

”

Wes Kelley, executive director, cpws

COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

a front door

to be proud of Creating “pride of place” for employees as well as a vibrant and welcoming front door to the community of Columbia, Tennessee, the renovation of the CPWS Service Center at Pickens Lane provides a visible presence to a once nondescript building. Embodying the four key design goals in a manner that exceeded the client’s expectations, the complex renovation effort successfully resolved an awkward pedestrian entrance, improved the customer drive-thru, optimized circulation, and created an expanded, logically organized lobby that facilitates superior customer service interaction.

“With this renovation, CPWS demonstrated its commitment to put the customer first,” notes Wes Kelley, executive director of Columbia Power & Water Systems. “We are very pleased that we now have a comfortable and accessible lobby and accompanying workspaces appropriate for a dynamic community such as Columbia, Tennessee.”

SHOWCASE

45

TE AM PIC/PM Patrick Gilbert, aia, leed ap PP/PC Adrienne Ciuba, aia, ncarb PD Christopher D. Hoal ID Michelle Oakley, iida, leed ap EGD Betty J. Crawford, segd

Tisha Bandish Eric Bearden, aia Thomas E. Bradbury Pamela Bybee Chandra Clonan Tracey Curray Jason B. Fukuda, p.e., s.e.

Jason Huff, p.e., leed ap Amanda Hunter Douglas E. Karaszewski, leed ap Lisa Kennedy Melissa Long, eit Andrew Lyons, p.e.

Diane Marable William C. Mays Deron McIntosh, p.e.

Sydney Reddoch Trey Rudolph, rla Andrew M. Stoebner, p.e.

Bryan A. Tharpe, p.e.

Rob Whitson, p.e.

Nicole L. Williams, segd

46

COLUMBIA POWE R & WA T E R S YS T E M S — S E R VICE CE NT E R R E N O V A TI O N

Crooked Creek Wastewater Reclamation Facility Improvements

LOCATION

CL I E NT

SE RVI C ES

Gwinnett County, Georgia

Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources

Architecture

Interior Design

Civil Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Construction Management

Plumbing Engineering

winnett County Department of Water Resources (DWR) manages a series of reclamation facilities that collect wastewater coming from homes and businesses and discharge the treated effluent back into county waterways. When the department determined that a new operations center and maintenance facility were needed at their Crooked Creek Wastewater Reclamation Facility (located in the northern Atlanta suburb of Peachtree Corners), they called upon long-standing partner GS&P to provide architecture, interior design and civil engineering services for the comprehensive improvement project.

“Crooked Creek WRF had been in operation since 1972, and the existing buildings on-site had become obsolete and presented an outdated image,” explains senior water resources engineer Mark Hellerstedt.

“The operations building was aging and too small for the owner’s needs.

It was also difficult to access and didn’t provide the advanced equipment and technological capabilities demanded by such a facility today. The client wanted a building that not only looked modern, but supported the staff’s various responsibilities.”

With a number of process buildings being utilized for both storage and maintenance (preventing them from being used as originally intended) the client also desired a new maintenance facility that consolidated all major storage into a single, centralized, on-site location, and provided a spacious and accessible area to perform maintenance.

48

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

Although the building is less than 12,000 square feet, layout and spatial adjacencies were extremely important to the owner.

The tallest volume of space runs north-south and signifies the main entrance and lobby.

The offices, control room, conference rooms and breakrooms are all located on the south faรงade, providing views onto the rest of the campus.

This new facility serves as a large warehouse space as well as a garage/workshop for staff. Along with its multiuse function, the building maintains an open and easily accessible floor plan.

SHOWCASE

49

To make way for the new operations center and maintenance facility, two existing structures had to be demolished from the 45-acre site. Senior construction engineer Jeff Behel explains: “The previous buildings were simply antiquated, so those two components were taken out of the network to build the new facilities. Configuring the new buildings on a site that had already been developed was a complicated process due to a number of factors, including a myriad of existing pipes. It involved daily, and sometimes hourly coordination between all parties.”

“One of our key objectives was ensuring the plant remained operational throughout this process,” notes water resources engineer Bridget Shealy. “You never know when you might get a heavy rain and have to service 20 million gallons of

water. So we had to make sure the plant stayed online while we were taking certain parts and pieces out of service.

This came with some challenges, but we successfully met this goal, keeping the plant fully active and engaged around the clock.”

“We used the vocabulary of the existing headworks building—especially the materials and palette—to design both

MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY SPREAD OUT AMONG THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS

ARE NOW CENTRALLY HOUSED IN ONE PLACE. Tim Anson, Architect

MAINTENANCE FACILITY - FLOOR PLAN The building was created to be bright, open and functional.

50

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

OPERATIONS CENTER - FLOOR PLAN This new building serves as both a large warehouse space and a garage/ workshop for staff.

the operations center and maintenance facility,” adds architect Tim Anson.

“We toured a similar facility and met with the client several times to discuss functional relationships, and then came back with plans and presentations that the client liked.”

The design team chose similar materials for both buildings’ exterior design, including traditional brick, cast stone,

split-face block, and aluminum storefront. The operations center has a gabled roof and cruciform layout that reflect the past and honor the facility’s history, while a large expanse of glass on the south façade creates a more contemporary image for the plant’s campus centerpiece. The maintenance facility’s exterior design features the same primary materials that were used in the operations building. A tall parapet conceals a single-slope roof, and cast-stone accents at the corners reflect motifs used on the operations center.

SHOWCASE

51

The new 12,000-square-foot operations center houses a large training room, various support spaces, and a state-of-the-art control room. The steep terrain of the site dictated that the building would be two stories on the south side, and a single story on the north side. The main entrance and lobby, which run north-south, account for the tallest volume of space. The offices, control room, conference rooms and breakrooms are all located along the south façade, allowing views onto the rest of the plant. This placed support functions on the building’s north wall, while the training room and lab were situated on the west side.

The operations center was designed to be easily accessible and welcoming, with a high-volume lobby that provides direct access to all other spaces throughout the building.

A minimal design aesthetic and cool palette with colorful accents gives the impression of a clean and modern facility.

The main feature wall, cladded in reclaimed wood, creates a connection between the upper and lower levels while also

Exterior balconies flank the occupied spaces on the building’s southern end, providing convenient places for respite and fresh air.

52

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

exaggerating the height of the space.

Poured resinous flooring features an undulating graphic element mimicking the flow of water, which curves through the lobby and into the control room.

“The new operations center really improves the workplace experience for employees,” notes Anson. “Most plants aren’t this modern or open. They’re closed off and dark. Crooked Creek’s new space looks more like a spacious and open office building. A nice feature is the exterior balcony that wraps around the southern end of the building and provides a place for staff to get fresh air and take a break.”

The maintenance facility contains high clerestory windows that allow natural light to enter from all sides.

The new 14,500-square-foot maintenance facility houses an on-site maintenance and repair shop equipped with modern machinery, and provides ample storage space for chemicals and materials.

“Maintenance functions that were previously spread out among three different buildings are now centrally housed in one place,” says Anson.

“By having a fully functional maintenance building on-site, equipment doesn’t have to be shipped out to a welding shop or other repair facility. Staff can use their skills in-house to do the work,” adds Behel.

Like the operations center, the maintenance facility’s interior is bright, open and functional. Clean, white walls

and the building structure allow items such as crane rails, piping and bollards to stand out and be easily identified.

“All of their equipment requires preventive maintenance once or twice a year,” says Shealy. “A lot of plants can’t keep up with that, which shortens the lifespan of the equipment. In this case, allowing staff to service the machinery on-site keeps the plant in shape and adds to the facility’s longevity and economic efficiency.”

SHOWCASE

53

The two-story lobby space and communicating stairway provided an excellent opportunity for a feature wall. The design team used reclaimed wood to create a unique sculptural element.

The main feature wall continues to the floor below, creating a connection between the upper and lower levels, while also exaggerating the height of the space.

Visual overhead displays and surrounding windows allow the control room to operate as the plant’s central “brain” center.

WE PROVIDED AN IDEAL SCENARIO WHERE WORKERS CAN MONITOR THE ENTIRE PLANT RIGHT FROM THEIR DESK. Jeff Behel, Senior Construction Inspector

56

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

GS&P’s overhaul included the most advanced digital control systems and visual overhead displays in the industry, a vast improvement over Crooked Creek’s existing operations center that was still running on analog controls. The control room is now equipped with the necessary data and monitoring capabilities for staff to survey the entire plant from a single command center.

“There had always been alarms on certain components of the water treatment process, but if valves weren’t opening or closing, staff wouldn’t realize it until water levels changed, or flows didn’t respond as expected,” says Behel. “We provided an ideal scenario where workers can monitor the entire plant right from their desk, and at the same time see the equipment run status on the display screens.”

“We also provided upgraded supervisory control to monitor and control all the systems and processes across the plant,” adds Shealy. “Instead of having to pull samples on foot, staff can now measure oxygen levels and flow rates

automatically. They will still need to go outside to verify results, but instead of having to visit each basin, there are now probes in place that measure pH levels, temperature, oxygen—all the variables that ensure optimal functioning.”

“The advanced digital controls mean fewer people are needed to run the plant, which is an added economic benefit,” adds Behel. “The system promptly alerts to issues so that operators can make rapid adjustments. Enhanced monitoring means better control of discharges to the environment and increased efficiency for the plant as a whole.”

Outfitted with modern equipment and machinery, the maintenance facility allows work to be performed in one consolidated on-site location.

Gwinnett County’s sustainability policy and design process. Both new buildings requires all occupied buildings larger than were kept a minimum of 1 foot above 5,000 square feet to achieve LEED Silver the 500-year flood plain elevation, and certification. To this end, the design and GS&P kept any new development out construction teams employed several of the 100-year flood plain and the interior and exterior strategies to reduce Crooked Creek stream buffer. energy and material use, lower mainte“A major component of environnance and life-cycle costs, and provide a mental stewardship is managing stormhealthier environment for the occupants. water runoff on the site,” says Shealy.

“Sustainability is part of GS&P’s “Whenever you add concrete or other core values,” notes impervious surfaces, Shealy, “and recyyou’re restricting cled and reclaimed water absorption and materials formed a allowing water to run significant part of off, which can cause our design stratflooding and erode egy. For example, stream banks.” we used reclaimed Stormwater that wood to create a might come into contwo-story feature tact with hazardous wall in the lobby materials was conspace of the operatained with drain Bridget Shealy, tions center that crepiping routed back Water Resources Engineer ates a really unique to the sanitary sewer. sculptural element.”

GS&P also created an Augmenting erosion and sediment energy efficiency, control plan to ensure diffuse light from that best practices were incorporated clerestory windows in the maintenance into the site. facility creates a “We had limited constantly-lit envispace for retention ronment, reducing the need for overponds on the existing site, so it was head lighting. complicated fitting them in,” says Shealy.

Due to its function as a wastewa“We also added bioretention areas, in ter treatment plant, responsible site which water passes through a bioswale development was also an important of soil and leaves to catch metals, solids sustainability factor in the engineering and dirt.”

Recycled and reclaimed materials formed a significant part of our design strategy.

58

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

The bioswale located in the parking lot helps filter and slow down rainwater runoff.

SHOWCASE

59

The Crooked Creek Wastewater Reclamation Facility improvement project was completed on an aggressive timetable—six months for design and 24 months for construction. GS&P played an important role in helping the Gwinnett County DWR improve their processes in order to operate more efficiently and meet the needs of their community. The new leading-edge facilities blend in with the surrounding campus while infusing new life and operational effectiveness into the plant.

“It’s gorgeous for a wastewater treatment plant,” says Shealy. “The previous administration building was dismal and cramped, and its design dated back to the 1970s. This new building is something they can be proud of. Often, a community isn’t even aware of their wastewater reclamation facility unless there’s a flood or something else goes wrong with water processing. Now, the client can invite the public to the plant to learn about the process and appreciate the money and energy spent to avoid polluting the environment.”

“We impressed the client with our ability to utilize multiple disciplines in different offices, demonstrating our strengths

60

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

in each area and operating together seamlessly,” says Anson. “The client was proud of the project, which came together beautifully.”

“The management loves the new buildings, and employees from other plants have requested to be transferred there, or at least to have their offices in the new facility,” notes Behel. “Their offices could easily be at a central facility, but they want to be at Crooked Creek.

That speaks volumes.”

This new building is something they can be proud of.

Bridget Shealy

SHOWCASE

61

TE AM PIC Mark Hellerstedt, p.e.

PP Timothy J. Anson, aia, leed ap PD Julie D. Roquemore, iida, leed ap PE Bridget Shealy, p.e.

PE Jeff Behel

Theresa A. Ashley Tisha Bandish John W. Barlow Dexter Carty Patrick Gilbert, aia, leed ap Bryan M. Gurney, p.e.

Erin Hackler, aia, leed ap John R. Horst, p.e., leed ap, cpd Hal Humphrey, p.e.

Brandon D. King Len K. Luther Trey Rudolph, rla Rob Whitson, p.e.

Johnathan C. Woodside, p.e., leed ap o+m, c.e.m, gbe

62

CROOKED CREEK WASTEWATER RECLAMATION FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS

HCA’s StoneSprings Hospital Center

LOCATION

CL I E NT

SE RV I C E S

Dulles, Virginia

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)

Architecture Interior Design Environmental Graphics and Wayfinding Structural Engineering

Since the first prototype design in 1968, GS&P has worked on more than 1,000 HCA projects.

64

HCA’S S TON E S PRIN G S H O S P IT A L CE NT E R

ospital Corporation of America (HCA) is the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services with approximately 165 hospitals and 115 freestanding surgery centers in the United States and United Kingdom. HCA employs more than 200,000 people and provides up to 5 percent of all inpatient care in the U.S. Founded in 1968, HCA was one of the nation’s first for-profit hospital companies, as well as one of GS&P’s first clients. GS&P and HCA have since enjoyed a successful working relationship for more than 45 years.

In 2013, HCA selected GS&P to design a new 124-bed, 234,000-square-foot greenfield hospital in Dulles, Virginia, that would bring much-needed healthcare services to a rapidly growing community.

“HCA recognized a great opportunity to expand their market share in Northern Virginia,” says Ken Priest, senior vice president for GS&P’s Nashville Design Studio. “Their other facilities were too constrained for further expansion. The StoneSprings location provided a fresh start for a new facility that would demonstrate HCA’s dedication to personal, community-focused healthcare.”

SHOWCASE

65

THOUGHTFUL, EFFICIENT PLANNING HCA originally tasked GS&P with taking the company’s existing model for a new hospital and adapting it to fit the specific programmatic requirements for StoneSprings. The overall scope needed to be reduced, but the design team knew the layout could also be more efficient and delved into an exhaustive study of the existing facility plans to maximize efficiency, improve departmental adjacencies, and enhance internal circulation.

“One of the first things we did was walk through another HCA facility with the client and ask questions regarding efficiencies that could be incorporated into our design,” explains Scott McQueen, senior healthcare principal. “We also clarified the circulation and imagined ways to make the hospital wayfinding more intuitive.”

“As trusted consultants, we felt it was our duty to do our homework,” notes intern architect Chris Hoal. “We didn’t want to move forward without asking all the necessary questions and finding every last possible improvement.”

What started out as a simple design exercise ultimately turned into a rigorous audit of HCA’s accepted model for a new hospital. The team outlined ways to achieve better departmental relationships, delineated zones for expansion, and improved patient, staff and material flows. The result was an efficiently engineered hospital for 124 beds, but with 70,000 fewer square feet.

“We proposed two options for improving the existing hospital layout,” adds designer Traci Myers. “One was a more efficient adaptation of their existing plan, and the other was essentially a redesigned prototype. Our design went above and beyond the client’s expectations, giving HCA another option for future opportunities.”

In executing the new model, the single biggest challenge the GS&P team faced was time, which was quickly running out given the rapidly approaching expiration of the hospital’s Certificate of Need (CON).

“The certificate is a way for local communities to regulate the construction of new healthcare facilities according to market need,” says Myers. “By the time HCA had settled on and secured this particular location, the CON had run out of extensions. We had six or seven months to complete the design, and 18 months to build it.”

66

HCA’S S TON E S PRIN G S H O S P IT A L CE NT E R

“We also had to fulfill requirements related to planned urban development, including zoning, elevations, and types and amounts of materials used,” notes McQueen. “The client’s floor plan/building footprint had been pre-approved before the design process started, so we had to contend with fixed starting points, such as the location of the front door and the placement of the emergency department. In the end, that meant going with the more efficient adaptation of the existing plan.”

EX

HCA STONESPR

UNDECIDED

TO REMAIN

TO BE REMOVED

Shown here is a portion of the spaces that were requested to be removed from the existing plans.

The scattered nature of these program elements necessitated a full redesign.

EXISTING FIRST FLOOR PLAN “OUR DESIGN WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE

XISTING PROGRAM UNDETERMINED

RING MEDICAL CENTER

4’ 4’

8’

8’

CLIENT’S EXPECTATIONS, GIVING HCA ANOTHER

16”

OPTION FOR FUTURE LOUDOUN COUNTY, VIRGINIA OPPORTUNITIES .”

EXISTING PROGRAM TO REMOVE

16”

EXISTING PROGRAM TO KEE

TRACI MYERS, DESIGNER SHOWCASE

67

OPTION

1

SERVICE AMBULANCE

WALK-IN ENTRANCE

OPTION N

K-I

L WA

SERVICE

2

AMBULANCE

ENTRANCE

Option 1 rethinks the hospital organization by eliminating cross-traffic and delineating better expansion. Option 2 is the deliverable originally asked for: an adaptation of the existing plan, which reduced square footage and key planning units.

68

HCA’S S TON E S PRIN G S H O S P IT A L CE NT E R

A MODERN, SENSITIVE DESIGN GS&P’s layout resulted in reduced square footage, better-organized departments and improved flow. The design also reinforces staff and patient well-being through intuitive wayfinding throughout the hospital.

“You always know where you are in the building,” says Priest. “When you step off an elevator, you can tell what floor and department you’re in. We also better specified the delineation between staff and public areas, which is extremely helpful in a naturally stressful environment. Another design component is a connector that runs between the hospital and the medical office building in case a patient needs to go for tests or consultations. The facility is one-stop shopping and very easy to navigate.”

“A public spine connects all the places a patient might go, and beyond that, you have a spine linking staff to their relevant departments. So the back-of-the-house staff activity is separate,” adds McQueen.

“Public spaces are also linked visually,” notes Hoal. “The main lobby has a large glass front that looks down into the courtyard near the medical office building. This sets the stage for finding yourself in a certain place. As you move up the building through the elevator, you have views to help locate yourself in the space in an intuitive way.”

“The layout and design both set a tone and expectation from the outside in,” notes Priest. “Patients and visitors walk into a bright, cheery and confident environment that speaks to HCA’s competency and dedication.”

“THE LAYOUT AND DESIGN BOTH

SET A TONE AND EXPECTATION FROM THE OUTSIDE IN.” KEN PRIEST, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, NASHVILLE DESIGN STUDIO

On the exterior, it was imperative that GS&P appropriately embed the facility in a county that’s defined by its history and horse farms.

“StoneSprings is located along a corridor that transitions from the Colonial developments of eastern Loudoun County to the ‘horse country’ farms, Civil War trails, and historic sites of western Loudoun County,” explains senior interior designer Julia Boren. “We explored a more neutral palette than what HCA was typically accustomed to and created a more contemporary hospital that pulled in the wood and stone detail of an adjacent horse pasture.”

Through the composition of both traditional materials and modern forms, StoneSprings Hospital Center embraces Virginia’s historical context as well as its future.

The choice of neutral colors in stone and brick was influenced by palettes of historic Colonial architecture.

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69

“THE HOSPITAL LAYOUT RETAINED ITS EFFECTIVENESS FOR PATIENT CARE AND CIRCULATION, BUT WITH

70,000 FEWER SQUARE FEET.” KEN PRIEST

70

HCA’S S TON E S PRIN G S H O S P IT A L CE NT E R

GS&P embraces best practices in sustainable design for both good environmental stewardship and economic efficiency.

The new state-of-the-art medical center fully embodies this mandate.

“The first tenet of being a good steward of the environment is to ‘reduce,’” says McQueen. “The exterior design simplified the form and cut out the fluctuations of surfaces from HCA’s previously accepted design. The modern look and feel is much leaner with fewer parts and pieces.”

StoneSprings’ reduced interior layout and choices for décor also resulted in substantial energy and cost savings to the client.

“The hospital layout retained its effectiveness for patient care and circulation, but with 70,000 fewer square feet,” says Priest. “Beyond savings in construction costs, the new design

will naturally lower energy usage and operating costs that would have come with all that extra space.”

“One of the questions we faced was: How do you take the budget you have and create something that lives up to high expectations? You simply have to build more economically while also producing a high-end look,” says Boren. “To achieve that, we used paint instead of vinyl wall coverings, and in place of terrazzo tile we used porcelain arranged in a way that was still elegant.”

To increase energy efficiency and combat noise from the nearby Dulles airport, the design team upgraded the windows to an ultra-thermal system, used ample brick for sound and thermal insulation, and chose thicker exterior insulation finish systems.

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71

A BOON TO THE COMMUNITY In addition to providing high-quality healthcare to Loudoun County, StoneSprings Hospital Center will provide 500 new jobs and generate $2.1 million in local tax revenues for community services.

“HCA’s decision to plant a flag in this community will generate a lot of new business in that market,” notes Priest.

“Hospital employees and office tenants will eat, shop, and fill their gas tanks at local businesses.”

“Physicians and other medical professionals are very interested in moving to this new facility,” adds McQueen.

“The medical office building filled up so fast we had to add two more floors. The hospital prototype that we designed will make it easy for HCA to expand StoneSprings from the back and add another 124 beds once future demand requires it.”

Slated to open at the end of 2015, the new hospital is projected to receive more than 3,200 admissions and nearly 20,000 emergency room visits in its first year.

234k SQUARE FEET

124 BEDS

15

EMERGENCY ROOM BAYS

7

ORs “THE MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING

FILLED UP SO FAST

WE HAD TO ADD TWO MORE FLOORS.“ SCOTT MCQUEEN, SENIOR HEALTHCARE PRINCIPAL

1

CARDIAC CATH LAB/OR

5

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING ROOMS 72

HCA’S S TON E S PRIN G S H O S P IT A L CE NT E R

"I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THE COMPLETED PROJECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR COMMUNITY

BENEFITING FROM THIS FACILITY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.”

W. MARK RADER, CEO OF STONESPRINGS HOSPITAL CENTER

Designed and equipped to provide the Loudoun County area with comprehensive inpatient, outpatient, surgical and diagnostic medical care, the new StoneSprings Hospital Center comprises 124 beds, including 104 medical and surgical beds, 10 intensive care unit beds, and 10 labor, delivery and postpartum recovery beds. The 234,000-square-foot facility also accommodates 15 emergency room bays (incorporating trauma), a cardiac cath lab/OR, and five diagnostic imaging rooms including MRI, CT and nuclear medicine. In addition, the 51-acre site encompasses a 100,000-square-foot medical office building.

Through an intimate understanding of the client’s goals, GS&P successfully integrated the new hospital into a historic Virginia community while effectively balancing an aggressive schedule, the constraints of pre-approved site designs, and HCA’s desire for improving the hospital’s efficiency and patient appeal.

“I’m proud of how well we worked under those specific pressures,” says Myers. “We were behind schedule from day one, but we pulled it off successfully in half the normal time with half our usual people. We truly gave HCA something more than they expected—something quite different from your typical hospital.”

“I am very pleased with GS&P’s design,” notes W. Mark Rader, CEO of StoneSprings Hospital Center. “The exterior of the building is modern, yet ties in the history of Northern Virginia through the use of stone, reminiscent of the stone walls still found in the surrounding countryside that predate the American Civil War. The interior layout is patient- and visitor-friendly, with ample space for guests to wait comfortably while a loved one is being cared for. I am very happy with the completed project and look forward to our community benefiting from this facility for many years to come.”

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TEAM PIC, AOR Kenneth A. Priest, aia, ncarb, leed ap PM, PD C. Scott McQueen, ncarb, leed ap EOR Bryan A. Tharpe, p.e.

Brandi Amos Julia A. Boren, associate aia, leed ap Helga Bolyard Buddy Burks, p.e.

Pamela Bybee Richard W. Coleman, aia Glenn T. Davis Bruce K. Dretchen James A. Gill James D. Graham Lindsay B. Hamilton, associate aia, leed ap Christopher D. Hoal Matthew D. Lackey, p.e.

Diane Marable Traci Cary Myers, leed ap Parhem Penn O’Briant Sydney Reddoch Jevon Ritchey, aia, ncarb, leed ap bd+c Mark D. Spalding, p.e.

Andrew M. Stoebner, p.e.

R.J. Tazelaar, p.e.

Grace Vorobieff Nicole L. Williams, segd

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HCA’S S TON E S PRIN G S H O S P IT A L CE NT E R

R E C R E AT I N G

PUBLIC H E A LT H OF

IN NASHVILLE

Lentz Public Health Center

LOC ATION

CL I EN T

SE RV I C E S

Nashville, Tennessee

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA)

Architecture

Metro Nashville Public Health Department

Civil Engineering Environmental Graphics and Wayfinding Interior Design MEP Engineering Structural Engineering Workplace Strategy

BEFORE: The old facility was originally built as a fallout shelter that could convert into a hospital should a catastrophic event occur. Interior partitions were built of concrete block, making it impractical to renovate.

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

amed after Dr. John J. Lentz, the first health director in Nashville and Davidson County, Lentz Public Health Center has successfully served the Metro Nashville community for more than 50 years. Built in 1958, the original Lentz facility had become a limitation to the continued advancement in service that the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) sought to provide to the community, due to age, building envelope failure and environmental concerns.

In a unique public-private partnership and land-swap agreement, HCA, in association with MPHD, selected GS&P to provide architecture, engineering, interior design and workplace strategy services for a new 106,000-square-foot facility that would combine administrative office space and public health clinics in a new, more visible location.

“One of the overriding goals of building the new facility was to create a new presence for public health in Nashville,” explains senior architect Ann Trent. “Charlotte Avenue—a major corridor running in and out of downtown—was the perfect place for it. It’s much more accessible to the public than the previous location.”

“

One of the overriding goals of building the new facility was to create a new

”

presence for public health in Nashville.

ANN TRENT, S ENIO R ARC HITECT

Originally constructed as a fallout shelter that could convert into a hospital should a catastrophic event occur in the city of Nashville, the existing building’s limitations were far too great to consider a renovation effort. Trent explains: “The old facility on 23rd Avenue North was essentially a concrete bunker that was built for permanence, not for flexibility. Every partition was a masonry block wall. So to try and tear those walls down and create open office space was virtually impossible. It also needed upgrades for a variety of issues, including envelope performance, air quality and accessibility. It was clearly time for Metro Public Health Department to relocate to a new, more welcoming space that not only reflected their dynamic character, but also met their growing needs.”

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Exemplifying MPHD’s mission to “protect, improve and sustain the health and well-being of all people in Metropolitan Nashville,” the design of the new facility was driven by a key set of guiding principles.

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

“At the beginning of the project, we conducted a workplace strategy. Out of that came guiding principles that were developed by GS&P and the client in tandem,” says Trent.

“Everyone who was brought on board as part of the design and construction team was given a list of the guiding principles, and sticking to those throughout the

project not only helped us support the client’s mission, but also allowed us to achieve all of their objectives.”

Consistent with the client’s culture, values and mission, the guiding principles centered on activating the workplace, keeping it flexible for change over time, and providing a healthy, accessible and sustainable building for the city of Nashville.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1

Enhance services through hospitality, efficiency, equality, accessibility and flexibility.

4

Provide facilities that support community connection, interaction and outreach.

2

Provide a place of safety, security and privacy.

3

5

Express a culture of compassion and caring toward a diverse community.

Set an example for healthy living.

6

Act as a “good steward� of both the environment and taxpayer dollars.

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“

Visitors in the main lobby area can look up and see Metro employees literally ‘walking the talk’ of healthy living and physical activity in their workplace.

ANN TRENT

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

”

A HEALTHY DESIGN FOR

To help support and encourage a more active lifestyle in the workplace, design elements were integrated into the space that would allow employees to interact with the building.

“One of the guiding principles of this project was to embody healthy living and inspire physical activity, and our design achieves that in a number of ways,” says Trent. “When you enter the facility, a monumental stair is prominently featured within the three-story atrium. Its placement encourages staff and patrons to use the stair as opposed to the elevators. There’s also an interactive

Certain design elements promote a more active workplace, such as the 1/8-mile walking loop around the third-floor perimeter, the staff fitness center, and the monumental stair in the lobby.

art component that detects people’s movement up and down the staircase, which makes taking the stairs a more fun experience.”

Further promoting movement and activity, the design team incorporated a 1/8-mile indoor walking loop around the perimeter of the third floor.

“The walking loop surrounds the work stations, and staff will often hold ‘walking’ meetings on the track,” says Trent. “Visitors in the main lobby area can look up and see Metro employees literally ‘walking the talk’ of healthy living and physical activity in their workplace.

It sends a subtle message.”

Also supporting better health, printers and breakrooms were centralized on each floor to encourage staff to get up and walk, while an on-site fitness center allows employees to exercise before or after work, or during their lunch break.

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26TH AVENUE NORTH

ICI

L FE

A

E RE ST

T 1/4-MILE COMMUNITY WALKING LOOP

STORMWATER QUALITY BASIN

HCA PROPERTY

MTA STOP

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

B-CYCLE STATION

E

U AVEN E T T LO CHAR

THE STORMWATER QUALITY BASIN

STORMWATER QUALITY BASIN

B I KE

L ANE

B I KE

L ANE

Aside from being home to a public service institution, the facility engages the community in a number of ways via interior and exterior features that can be shared.

For example, the multipurpose room on the building’s ground floor can be utilized by any Metro agency or community group, even after hours. Amenities such as the atrium (as a pre-function space) and the demonstration kitchen are also available for shared events.

At the exterior, the site features a ¼-mile outdoor walking loop that is open to the public, and a street-front plaza that features a solar-powered bus shelter, bike rental, site furnishings and bike racks.

“Metro Public Health Department’s mission ties into Mayor Karl Dean’s NashVitality initiative, which aims to activate the city,” says Trent. “Bike lanes were added along Charlotte Avenue as Lentz Public Health Center was being constructed, and we implemented a solar-powered B-cycle kiosk on the front plaza offering a convenient location where people can engage in the city’s bike-share program.”

“The public transportation aspect was also important because a large number of clientele who go to Lentz take public transport,” adds architect and project coordinator Ryan Rohe. “It was significant enough that it was one of the main improvement factors that Metro talked about over the old building. Accessibility to public transportation was so much more difficult at the 23rd Avenue location. With Charlotte Avenue’s bike lanes, sidewalks, and a dedicated bus line that’s a straight shot to just about anywhere in the city, the new health center was primed and ready to be a much more accessible facility for the general public.”

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

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SUPPORTING

Slightly smaller than the original Lentz Public Health Center, GS&P designed the new three-story facility to effectively support the evolving clinical and administrative needs of five public health bureaus: Population Health; Community Health; Environmental Health; Family, Youth and Infant Health; and Finance and Administration. Combined, the departments provide a wide range of public health services under one roof, including immunizations, food inspection services, dental care, TB screening, pest management services, nutrition counseling, disaster preparedness and automobile emissions program management.

“People are amazed at what’s inside this building,” notes Trent. “It’s

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

especially impressive if you think about the fact that within 106,000 square feet there are the five different public health bureaus and their associated direct lines of service clinics.”

Clinic space is located on the building’s first and second floors, with administrative space to support more than 300 employees located on the second and third floors.

“The workplace strategy, along with a clinical process map, was developed in order to drive design decisions that boosted efficiency of space, flexibility, user satisfaction, and ultimately building effectiveness,” says Rohe. “The end result is a facility that doesn’t feel anything like your typical clinic—it feels more like a high-end office building.”

As part of the workplace strategy, an adjacency diagram was developed to drive design decisions.

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“

...the goal was to say that everyone is welcome.

”

RYAN ROHE, SE NI O R A RC HITECT

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Administration and low-volume clinics are located on the upper floors; both entrances can be monitored from a single security counter in the main lobby; Women, Infant and Children’s is a high-volume clinic located on the ground floor.

A PLACE OF , & Safety and security in the new facility were greatly improved over previous conditions. In the former building, patrons and employees had open access to corridors. In the new health center, administrative departments and areas where patient health information is stored are secured behind locked doors.

The new facility’s north and south entrances are visible from a single security desk, while the atrium provides a high degree of visibility for the groundfloor activity, as well as movement

from floor to floor via the monumental stair. Passive observation is a security feature of the lobby and the views that look onto the parking lot and public plaza facing Charlotte Avenue.

“It’s public health, so the goal was to say that everyone is welcome,” says Rohe. “Anyone can walk in, but there’s a security desk as you enter the building, and the populations are separated from there. For instance, those seeking care for women, infants and children go to the right, other services are to the left.”

“Some of Nashville’s most vulnerable come to the center for healthcare

needs, so higher-risk populations, such as those diagnosed with TB, are directed to different entrances that are remote and segregated for public safety,” adds Trent. “The way the building is designed, the public lobby is connected to the monumental stair, and the monumental stair connects public lobbies on the upper levels that are secured. So nobody goes anywhere without someone letting them in.”

Coming up with design solutions for the different populations, however, came with a number of challenges.

“We had to approach every clinic like it was its own project,” explains Trent.

“Every clinic had its unique needs and clientele. So the design solution for one clinic wasn’t necessarily the solution for another. In terms of placing those populations programmatically, we located all of the high-volume clinics and agencies on the ground floor. The smaller specialty clinics were placed on the second floor along with administration.”

“We achieved a certain amount of flexibility with the clinic zones, which are designed to expand and contract as the needs change for the various bureaus,” adds Rohe. “The exam rooms are all identical, so there’s no hierarchy—it’s very generic and very flexible.”

As a testament to the design’s success, volumes for the Women, Infant and Children’s clinic increased an average of 264 visits per month during the third and fourth quarters of 2014.

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& BUILDING DESIGN SOLUTIONS Designed for LEED Silver certification, significant energy conservation and reduction measures were incorporated into the new facility, including a building envelope design that outperforms the requirements of Metro’s current code.

“In terms of thermal performance, the entire envelope of the building is much better performing than the previous facility when it comes to maintaining temperature and humidity on the inside,” says Trent. “We optimized energy performance to the tune of 14-16 percent over the typical baseline energy consumption for a building of this type.

“In regard to air quality, the facility features a mechanical system with specially designed pressurization for airborne diseases. Specifically, in the TB Prevention Clinic, the system provides 100-percent outside air and it’s all negative pressure, so none of the air inside the clinic gets into the other spaces surrounding it—it’s exhausted straight out and fresh air comes in.

Building-wide, the design provides 30 percent more fresh air than is required by code.”

Also enhancing air quality, GS&P, in association with former bureau director of environmental health, Brent Hager, designed a ground-breaking system for radon mitigation.

“This region of the country is one of the most concentrated locations for high amounts of radon gas, which is known to

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

cause lung cancer,” explains Trent. “We worked with Brent Hager on a mitigation system for the building and designed it specifically for the site conditions. It’s a fairly robust system of ventilation pipes that are below the building slab. The pipes collect the radon gas and vent it out through the roof and into the atmosphere. The radon numbers for the building are at historic lows, and the design has become the basis of design for pending Metro Codes.”

Other sustainable features include a state-of-the-art lighting system controlled by daylight sensors and occupancy sensors; water-efficient plumbing fixtures; an on-site retention pond that collects stormwater, allowing for slower, cleaner and more manageable flows into the stormwater system; and a 20,000-gallon rainwater cistern that collects roof rainwater and supplies a subsurface drip irrigation system for sod and plantings surrounding the building.

“Being good stewards of both the environment and of taxpayer dollars by utilizing sustainable and smart building design solutions was one of the key drivers for the project,” notes Trent.

“This new facility embodies that tenet in multiple ways that are already contributing to a better quality of life for the community.”

1416% BTUs Cumulative 178.4 89.2

Under Typical Baseline Energy Consumption

30%

More Fresh Air Than Required by Code

NO

Potable Water to Irrigate

0.0

ABOVE: The building envelope was designed to optimize energy performance by maintaining internal temperature and humidity.

RIGHT: The facility features a mechanical system with specifically designed pressurization for airborne diseases. A custom radon mitigation system was also installed.

BELOW: State-of-the-art lighting is controlled by daylight and occupancy sensors.

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TO THE CITY AT LARGE Recreating the face of public health in Nashville, the new Lentz Public Health Center serves the Metropolitan Nashville area in a brand-new way, providing the community with easy access to a firstclass facility that is safe, innovative and sustainable. The design was honored in the ULI Nashville Excellence in Development awards in the Public Sector-Large category.

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

“The client wanted a welcoming, iconic building with its own distinct presence, and its form truly opens out to the public saying ‘come one, come all,’” says Trent. “The way in which the design embodies the mission of the public health department is not only an example to other clinics and corporate environments, but to the city at large. Their mission is expressed in the building and in the activity of the building. And that mission isn’t just about the programs inside. It’s about enhancing the community and leading by example.”

“This building is a big change for us,” stated Dr. William S. Paul, director of Nashville’s Metro Public Health Department, at the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. “For those of us who work here and those who visit us, it is literally a breath of fresh air. The building represents a substantial commitment to a healthier Nashville, both for the services we will provide, and also as a model of healthy design for a healthy workplace.”

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean also echoed the project’s significance and success at the opening ceremony.

“This facility is part of a series of investments that we as a city are making to provide the resources our citizens need to make the right choices—the

healthy choices—for themselves and their families. I am also excited that this project is supporting the revitalization of Charlotte Avenue.

“Shortly after breaking ground on this building, we opened the new 28th/31st Avenue Connector only two blocks away. It connected our city in a way that helped address the divide created when the interstate was built decades ago. Combined, these two projects are a tremendous shot in the arm for Charlotte Avenue, and it’s exciting to see new economic development following in the area. Clearly, the new Lentz Public Health Center will benefit our city in a number of ways, and serve as a prime example of how important health is in our community.”

“

...the new Lentz Public Health Center will benefit our city in a number of ways, and serve as a prime example of how important health is in our community.

”

KARL DEAN, NA S H VI L L E MAYO R SHOWCASE

93

TE AM PM William M. McCowan, aia, ncarb, leed ap

PP Ann Seton Trent, aia, ncarb, leed ap PC Ryan R. Rohe, aia, ncarb, leed ap PD Jeffrey W. Kuhnhenn, aia, leed ap ID Jack E. Weber, iida, mcr, leed ap EOR John R. Horst, p.e., leed ap, cpd

Tisha Bandish Eric Bearden, aia Helga Bolyard Stephen Brown, p.e.

Pamela Bybee Kenneth Church, rls Adrienne Ciuba, aia, ncarb Chandra Clonan Anthony N. Coles Tracey Curray Stephen Dodson Bruce K. Dretchen Joyce Ferguson Martha T. Fox, iida, ncidq, leed ap Matthew L. Freudenthal Jason B. Fukuda, p.e., s.e.

James D. Graham Gregory K. Gurney Justin Hethcote, p.e., leed ap bd+c, cxa Douglas E. Karaszewski, leed ap Melissa Long, eit Diane Marable Blaine Matthews, p.e., leed ap William C. Mays Elaine McDowall David V. McMullin, p.e., leed ap Louis Medcalf, fcsi, ccs Terence S. Mulvaney, rla, clarb Sydney Reddoch Trey Rudolph, rla Marc A. SauvĂŠ, lean Mike Summers Bryan A. Tharpe, p.e.

Bogue M. Waller Jr., p.e.

Johnathan C. Woodside, p.e., leed ap o+m, c.e.m., gbe

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LE N TZ PUBLIC HE ALT H CE NT E R

SHARING THE STORY OF AMERICA’S BEGINNING

Locust Grove Master Plan

LOCATIO N

Louisville, Kentucky CLIENT

Historic Locust Grove, Inc. Louisville Metro Parks Department SERVICES

Master Planning

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LOCUS T GROVE MAST E R P L A N

H

istoric Locust Grove Grove, Inc. solicited GS&P to develop a (HLG) is a museum and definitive master plan for the well-prehistoric site that pre- served property. serves and interprets “Historic Locust Grove had been laythe original 1790s Georgian mansion ing a lot of groundwork through other of William and Lucy initiatives they’d underClark Croghan. Along taken, gathering inforwith Lucy’s brother— mation about their Louisville founder and facility, processes and Revolutionary War programming,” shares AT THE CORE OF hero General George senior landscape archiTHIS PROJECT WAS Rogers Clark—the coutect Jon Henney. “So HISTORIC LOCUST ple welcomed a genthere was a lot of very eration of American useful background GROVE’S INTENTION luminaries to the home, information that was TO CREATE A SENSE including presidents readily available as we began the projAndrew Jackson and OF DESTINATION.” James Monroe. ect, which was a great Amin Omidy, Situated on 55 ruskick-start.”

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT tic acres, the center“At the core of this piece historic home project was Historic is located just 6 miles Locust Grove’s intennortheast of downtion to create a sense of town Louisville. With destination,” adds landthe goal of activating scape architect Amin the entire site to enable Omidy. “The site sees HLG to tell a broader approximately 25,000 story of its history, visitors a year, which is attract new audiences, a relatively low number and help ensure a sustainable future given its historic importance, and was for the organization, Louisville Metro largely unknown to a lot of demographics Parks Department and Historic Locust throughout and outside of Louisville.”

“

Builders of the 1790s Georgian mansion, William and Lucy Clark Croghan (pictured), along with Lucy’s brother, General George Rogers Clark, welcomed a generation of American luminaries to their home.

(Portraits courtesy of Historic Locust Grove)

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CREATING A BLUEPRINT

Given the unique nature of the project, a six-pronged plan was conceived as the master plan blueprint. This included: activating the entire site to enhance audience experience; designing site-sensitive parking solutions; creating clear delineations between historic and recreated artifacts; integrating and utilizing the land beyond the historic core; exploring a wider range of interpretive programming;

98

and creating a new layout to enhance the arrival experience.

“Historic Locust Grove assembled an advisory group made up of members of their board to work with us,” explains Henney. “Those early meetings helped us gain a clearer understanding of what the focus of our particular master planning efforts were. In many ways, it was those exercises that began to point us in the direction of those six major goals.”

1

2

3

ACTIVATE THE SITE TO

DESIGN SITE-

DELINEATE BETWEEN

ENHANCE AUDIENCE

SENSITIVE PARKING

HISTORIC AND

EXPERIENCE

SOLUTIONS

RECREATED ARTIFACTS

4

5

INTEGRATE AND

EXPLORE A RANGE

CREATE A NEW LAYOUT

UTILIZE THE LAND

OF INTERPRETIVE

TO ENHANCE THE

BEYOND THE CORE

PROGRAMMING

ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE

LOCUS T GROVE MAST E R P L A N

6

HISTORIC PRESERVATION ARCHITECTS MASTER

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS/ ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN CONSULTANTS

PLANNER (GS&P) PROGRAM DESIGN SPECIALISTS

ARCHAEOLOGISTS

A COLLABORATIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH A National Historic Landmark, Historic the people who contributed to the his- consultant concentrated on reaping the Locust Grove was opened to the pub- tory of the site. most from the property from an environ“A little unusual and unique to our lic in 1979. The site encompasses 13 mental perspective, helping to identify buildings, inclusive of the main house, process, we selected a very diverse what’s historic and important to both and features gardens, fields, a spring, team of consultants to work with us the site and the core area surroundfarm buildings, and woodlands that on the project, bringing in specialists ing the mansion. Our archaeological who could directly speak toward areas stretch over the surrounding 55 acres. partner revealed what portions of the such as programming and the design site had potential for historic features Although the main house attracts a wide range of visitors each year, the roll- of museum exhibits. and needed to be used more sensiing field beyond the historic tively. Our programming core was underutilized and consultant not only worked offered the greatest potential on existing programming for interpretive programbut also helped clarify future ...THROUGH OUR PROCESS, WE REVEALED ming—critical in allowing interpretive programming A LOT OF NEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT MIGHT for the site. So through our HLG the flexibility to offer new experiences while mainprocess, we revealed a lot NOT HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED INITIALLY.” taining their core values. of new opportunities that “The original focus of the might not have been conAmin Omidy site was on the buildings and sidered initially.” structures as opposed to the 55 acres The team included historic pres“It was a combination of identifying that were available,” explains Omidy. ervation architects John Milner and what different elements were needed to “Part of our role was identifying how to Associates, Inc.; landscape architects supplement our expertise,” adds Henney, engage the entire site in new and exciting and environmental design consultants “then selecting consultants who already ways that would offer the client plenty Environs Inc.; archaeologists Corn had a solid working knowledge of the of opportunities to bring in a variety Island Archeology; and program design facility so we had a strong head start of programming. For example, in the specialists Solid Light. moving our effort forward.” historic core of the site, we encouraged Omidy describes the individual roles interpretive programming which tells a of the multidisciplinary team: specific story that is tied to the property “Our historic preservation specialist as a National Historic Landmark—a focused on the integrity of the site’s hisstory that reflects the time period and toric structures, while the environmental

“

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SITE ANALYSIS: The design team evaluated existing site conditions to help identify suitable areas for active and passive programming, historic preservation and viewshed enhancements.

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LOCUS T GROVE MAST E R P L A N

ARCHAEOLOGY EXISTING CONDITIONS

ANALYSIS

HYDROLOGY & TOPOGRAPHY

VEGETATION

VIEWSHED

SOILS

GEOLOGY

INFORMING THE PROCESS With the consultant team in place, the site was evaluated based on physical, cultural, historic and environmental attributes to create a composite analysis. By viewing the site as a whole, certain patterns became apparent and guided the multifaceted planning approach.

“Our approach provided Historic Locust Grove the flexibility to utilize the site in a variety of capacities,” explains Henney. “It also allowed them to retain a level of historic accuracy to remain true to their mission as well as uphold their obligation for historic status.”

A site analysis revealed several zones that lent themselves to different levels of activation. By identifying these areas and informing the potential uses, the consultant team was able to accommodate the broad programming requests from the client while preserving the critical core of the site.

“We discovered that the site had different levels of authenticity,” notes Omidy. “For example, there’s a decline in historical authenticity as you move eastward from the main house, so those areas became the most appropriate for interpretive programming.”

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PRESERVE BUFFER

REINFORCED TURF OVERFLOW PARKING

EVENT TENT LOCATION

SPRING HOUSE

LOG BARN

VISITORS CENTER

REDEVELOP REAR GARDEN MEADOWS

CREATE VIEWS FOR ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE

MAIN HOUSE

HISTORIC CORE: RESEARCH CULTURAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND RESTORE

PROTECT ARCHAEOLOGICAL HOTSPOT

ADA TRAIL

TREES TO PRESERVE

Improving the wooded area, applying structural turf parking and creating a low-maintenance lawn were recommended in the master plan.

10 2

LOCUS T GROVE MAST E R P L A N

21ST-CENTURY SUSTAINABILITY GOALS WOODS With the master plan largely centered on the historic grounds, environmental stewardship became a central theme.

Henney discusses the issues related to preserving and enhancing a historical farm, while still applying sustainable features: “As you think about a historical gentleman’s farm, there were a lot of practices that may have been utilized when the farm was active that are no longer

INTERPRETIVE OPPORTUNITIES

considered sustainable today. We had a lot of conversations about that, debating how to give a nod to the historic context without losing sight of 21st-century sustainability goals.”

Omidy breaks the sustainability piece down into three additional components: “One; there’s an existing stand of trees, so we recommended the tending of that asset, removing dead wood and invasive species to provide opportunity for more balanced understory and maintenance.”

The parking lot was the second consideration. The large area designed to accommodate overflow parking stretches across sensitive archaeological ground which has endured the duress of countless vehicles over time. Tire rutting that occurs after a rain has additionally left the ground battered. A typical fix might involve a standard blacktop treatment.

However, in the spirit of sustainability, the master plan recommends the recovery of any historical artifacts, followed by the application of reinforced turf; a material that would not only integrate the space into the surrounding natural environment, but would also be permeable, allowing water to drain naturally into the soil.

“The third component,” Omidy continues, “is taking the large grass area in the middle of the site and creating a turf solution that’s mowed less frequently.

That helps with maintenance costs and is more sustainable.”

Also recommended are varieties of plant species that will flourish with a similar maintenance regimen, and be more in line with how a yard would have been maintained historically.

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DIVERSITY IN VISITORSHIP AND TELLING THE STORY

While the master plan addresses a Since being on the National Register broad spectrum of elements designed to of Historic Places demands certain heighten the visitor experience, improve historic requisites, and history is at the site programming, and raise awareness heart of the site, getting the story told accurately became a focal point. of both the history and importance of the site within the community, there “There is so much to be told, “ stresses is also an objective to attract wider Omidy. “Telling the stories from the visitor diversity in terms of age and original family. Telling the stories of the slaves who ethnic demographics.

“Historic Locust worked on the farm Grove is reaching and their cultural heritage. Thinking school-age children A BIG PART OF THE through what it and the more senior population, but it’s meant to build this MASTER PLAN WAS the piece in the midhouse in Kentucky at IDENTIFYING WAYS IN dle they aren’t making the time it was built; enough of a conneca gentleman’s farm WHICH THE CLIENT tion with,” explains in the middle of wilCOULD ACTIVATE THE Henney. “So, from derness at the western the programming edge of a new world.

ENTIRE PROPERTY...” side, we explored Getting all that on Jon Henney, better ways to draw one site was the most SENIOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT that age group. We challenging part of also discussed what the project as well as the most rewarding.” kind of changes they could implement to atHenney believes if tract more ethnically the site can be viewed diverse visitorship.” as both a testament to Omidy sees anAmerican history as other challenge in well as a well-mainhow to tell HLG’s tained asset offering a unique story, particvariety of experiences, ularly on a 55-acre site that once spanned its appeal will resonate with a wider 700 acres: range of demographics.

“There are connections to the river “A big part of the master plan was that are part of the original property, identifying ways in which the client so there are different programmatic could activate the entire property, proaspects that really couldn’t exist on 55 viding attractions for visitors who aren’t acres. That took some distilling by the necessarily history buffs. You can also team and the Historic Locust Grove go there simply because it’s a beautiful plan committee to think through and park-like setting where kids can play; you can have picnics or walk the trails. evaluate: What are the stories and which In many ways, external programming ones are the most important?” activities will broaden that reach.”

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A UNIQUE PROCESS By implementing a collaborative and process that clarified and refined their multidisciplinary approach to enrich project goals, and resulted in a better the overall design solution, GS&P helped understanding of their mission and ultiHistoric Locust Grove meet key objec- mately what their vision needed to be.”

“One of the nice surprises revealed tives to protect and preserve a significant in that process was that historic resource, provide it sparked a lot of great improvements to meet 21st-century functional ideas,” adds Omidy.

“Determining how we needs, and offer a contexTHIS PROJECT could best put those tual understanding of the WAS AS MUCH importance of those who ideas together for the lived and worked on the final document was a real ABOUT PROCESS historic property. achievement. It was a cirAS END PRODUCT.” cuitous journey at times, “This project was as much about process but the end result yielded Jon Henney as end product,” says a master plan that moves Henney, referring to the the organization forward collective effort that involved a broad to meet their goals, engage new audispectrum of disciplines. “It provided ences, and think through how they can unforeseen value to the client because be both economically and environmenthe team led them through a unique tally sustainable.”

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TE A M PIC, PP Jonathan D. Henney, aicp, asla PM Michael Sewell, p.e.

PP David Amin Omidy, asla, pla

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LOCUS T GROVE MAST E R P L A N

Lower Roswell Road East: Safety and Operational Improvements

LOCATIO N

Cobb County, Georgia C LIENT

Cobb County Department of Transportation S ERVICES

Multimodal Transportation Planning and Design Public Involvement Roadway Design Sewer System Conveyance and Rehabilitation Traffic Engineering and Systems Operations Transportation Planning Utility Management Watershed Management

s part of a SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) program that focused on road safety and operational improvements in Cobb County, Georgia, Cobb County Department of Transportation (DOT) solicited GS&P to design upgrades to a nearly 3-mile section of Lower Roswell Road East in Marietta, Georgia, from Davidson Road to the Fulton County Line. The project was included in the SPLOST initiative due to a number of safety and operational concerns along the existing stretch of roadway.

“The corridor starts out commercial along the Johnson Ferry side, but the land use quickly changes over to an upscale residential area midway through the project," explains senior transportation engineer Eric Rickert. "At the eastern end, it’s adjacent to the Gold Branch unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreational Area and National Park Service, so there were several land-use changes along the 3-mile section of road.

"Some of the original problems that had the project added to the 2005 SPLOST vote included a high crash frequency in several locations along the corridor, as well as heavy bicycle traffic with no designated bike lanes. There were also several storm drainage issues along the project, and only piecemeal pedestrian facilities with no connections between the adjacent residential developments or different land uses.”

To determine where operational improvements were needed, the GS&P team performed an initial traffic study along the corridor and recommended tentative improvements that were balanced against site constraints. GS&P and Cobb County DOT then conducted an extensive public outreach effort involving various project stakeholders to receive input 108

on the potential improvements. Based on feedback, the team modified their conceptual design in order to reach a consensus among land owners, elected officials and other key stakeholders.

The resulting design not only enhances operational efficiency and addresses safety concerns, but also minimizes impacts to the corridor while achieving a context-sensitive solution.

“The County made certain this project was executed with the community’s input to ensure that everyone had a voice and was heard,” notes Kent Black, executive vice president for GS&P’s Transportation market. “We had numerous public information

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The County made certain this project was executed with the community’s input to ensure that everyone had a voice and was heard, Kent Black, Executive Vice President, GS&P Transportation Market

Increased safety for bicyclists and pedestrians was achieved by providing dedicated bike lanes and multiuse trails.

Center Left-Turn Lane

Multiuse Trail

open-house gatherings, plus meetings with representatives from three separate subdivisions.”

GS&P’s resulting design solution is a Complete Street accommodating the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, recreationalists and motorists. To improve access to commercial and residential properties, as well as decrease congestion and back-up during peak traffic times, left- and right-turn lanes were added at key points throughout the corridor. Increased safety for bicyclists and pedestrians was achieved by providing 4-foot dedicated bike lanes on both sides of the roadway, and a 5-foot concrete

sidewalk on the north side. Along with the sidewalk, an 8-foot-wide multiuse trail on the south side gives residents the option of walking to nearby destinations without relying on motor vehicles.

Both serve as a connection to existing pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the City of Roswell and the Chattahoochee Nature Center. All components were incorporated into the design with significant attention paid to limiting the impact to both residential and commercial properties.

“Our goal was to preserve the community,” says Rickert, “so we minimized the design footprint and retained as

much of the existing vegetation along the corridor as possible. To help achieve this, we kept our roadway fairly narrow, incorporating 11-foot travel lanes for motorists.”

"The recreational benefits of the area are greatly improved by providing a multiuse trail," adds senior transportation engineer Jody Braswell. "It adds another link to the County's overall trail plan."

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Enhanced Safety

in a Roundabout Way

Based on citizen input, a roundabout intersection at the corner of Willeo Road, Timber Ridge Road and Lower Roswell Road on the eastern end of the project was found to be the optimum solution.

“The existing intersection had a number of operational challenges,” says Rickert. “It was on a tight, almost 90-degree curve at the foot of a steep grade which had poor sight distance, and there had been numerous crashes at the intersection. On top of that, there were several constraints at the intersection.

You had the National Park Service on one side, Willeo Creek was on another side, and there was a sewage pumping station on yet another side.”

GS&P’s design solution was to place a three-legged, 115-foot-diameter roundabout at the intersection that would channel the flow of approaching traffic around a center island, making for a smoother and safer flow of traffic.

“A lot of coordination was required with the National Park Service with this section of the project,” notes Black. “The intersection is adjacent to the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, and the design had to comply with mitigation efforts required by the National Park Service based on an environmental assessment prepared by our subconsultant.

This included the use of river rock for erosion control instead of typical granite riprap, the incorporation of indigenous grassing species, and landscaping with native vegetation.”

“The county line is at the bridge on one side of the intersection, so the roundabout provides a nice gateway into the county,” adds Braswell. “It’s an unincorporated area of the county, so once you reach the roundabout, you know you’ve arrived in East Cobb.

“The implementation of a one-lane roundabout solution is a big improvement over the previous intersection.

The legs were designed to have offset left-deflection for lower entry speeds, which means fewer conflict points. It also reduces congestion, eliminates the need for traffic signals, and will ultimately decrease operation and maintenance costs in the long term.”

The roundabout provides a nice gateway into the county, Jody Braswell, Senior Transportation Engineer

Roundabouts have proven to be safer than traditional intersections due to lower speeds and fewer conflict points.

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Cost-effective

and Sustainable

The GS&P team was excited to introduce the Lower Roswell Road East project as a breakthrough example of how to cognitively design roadway systems while addressing the sustainable needs of the community. The project was evaluated using the new Cobb County DOT PEACH (Preserving Environment And Community Heritage) Roads—a transportation environmental ratings program that recognizes cost-effective, sustainable practices in transportation projects—and was the first project reviewed using this criteria to score Gold certification.

“GS&P incorporated a considerable number of sustainable features into the design, many of them having a high level of environmental and community preservation impact,” explains Braswell. “For example, in order to retain the upscale, wooded character of the existing corridor, we went to great lengths to reduce the project’s footprint against residential and wooded areas while still adhering to AASHTO and GDOT design guidance.”

Special care was also used to limit impacts to the various residential subdivision entrances along the corridor. To preserve large trees deemed important to the community, alignments were used that minimize impacts to one side of the road, retaining walls were used instead of slopes, and the grass strip between the back of the curb and sidewalk (and trail) was narrowed.

One of the initiatives that helped the project score PEACH Roads Gold certification was adjusting the road alignment to retain large trees and vegetation.

GS&P incorporated a considerable number of sustainable features into the design, many of them having a high level of environmental and community preservation impact.

Jody Braswell

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A Multimarket

Design

Along with roadway improvements, GS&P also prepared water system improvements to replace water distribution and sanitary sewer services lines impacted by the project. The scope of work included the replacement of an existing asbestos cement water line along approximately 15,000 linear feet of the heavily traveled connector road.

“This was a multimarket design effort that involved staff from GS&P’s Water Resources market and their extensive coordination with Cobb County Water System [CCWS] to determine the optimum alignment for a replacement water line,” says Braswell. “There were several design challenges, including limited and congested rights of way that involved a high-pressure gas line and a 20-inch sewer force main, in addition to other related design constraints. Careful coordination with the existing roadway project was also required.”

GS&P’s review of as-built and field conditions during the design phase identified and avoided major potential conflicts with the existing gas line and sewer force main, resulting in significant savings to CCWS, and the prevention of potential construction problems.

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An Improved

Quality of Life

Recognized with an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Georgia, GS&P’s context-sensitive, sustainable design benefits motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists alike, offering residents a vastly improved, safe and inviting new streetscape.

“The client was extremely pleased that the final project cost came in $1.4 million less than original cost estimations,” says Black. “We’re really proud of the work that was performed, and that we cultivated improvements without mass disruption to the parkland and lake as well as the wetlands area.”

Rickert also weighs in on the project’s success: “Not only did we keep costs down, but we provided the community with a shared resource. When you go out to the project on any given day, particularly on a weekend, you see the increased amount of bicycle and pedestrian activity along the corridor, and you see the motorists using the roundabout. I think the most gratifying part for me personally is that GS&P created something that without doubt improves the quality of life in East Cobb.”

GS&P created something that without doubt improves the quality of life in East Cobb.

Eric Rickert, Senior Transportation Engineer

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Limited impacts to residential and commercial properties Environmental preservation Turn lanes Bike lanes on either side 8-foot-wide multiuse trail on south side 5-foot sidewalk on north side

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TE AM PIC Kent Black, p.e.

PM Jody Braswell, p.e.

PP Eric Rickert, p.e.

Jeff Behel Jay Bockisch, p.e., ptoe Michael Bywaletz, p.e.

Nithin Gomez, p.e., ptoe Bryan M. Gurney, p.e.

Mark Hellerstedt, p.e.

Brandon D. King Laura Muddiman Bridget Shealy, p.e.

Lisa Uhlman Joshua Williams, p.e., ptoe

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National Planning Corporation New Office Renovation

new office space taking up nearly two floors in a recently updated corporate campus, NPC’s tenancy will help revitalize El Segundo’s business distri in attracting and retaining talent from across the area.

LOCATIO N

El Segundo, California C LIENT

Jackson National Life Insurance Company® S ERVICES

Architecture Interior Design

ational Planning Corporation (NPC), an affiliate of Jackson National Life Insurance Company® (Jackson®), is one of the fastest-growing broker-dealer firms in the nation. Founded in 1998, NPC empowers more than 1,500 affiliated financial advisors through leading-edge technology and innovative business resources. NPC’s full-service support helps their investment professionals effectively grow their businesses and better serve their clients.

When NPC decided to relocate their headquarters from a costly location in downtown Santa Monica to a nearby corporate campus in the city of El Segundo, they solicited GS&P to design their new 31,000-square-foot home office. Though the new space was more cost-effective, it needed to be enhanced for staff productivity and morale, as well as outfitted for future growth.

“NPC’s old office was in a high-profile building near Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade,” explains senior interior designer Alyson Mandeville.

“Although the building was in a nice area, the interior hadn’t been renovated in at least 15 years, so it was really dated. The perimeter offices and high panels blocked views and daylight, and there were few amenity spaces.”

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With the client’s lease set to expire, GS&P launched an aggressively accelerated schedule to meet the target move-in date. The design team created a flexible and sustainable workplace featuring open workstations, ample meeting and training rooms, lounge areas, coffee bars and cafés. With tones, textures and colors that capture the essence of the California coast, the new NPC space boasts an inspiring, eco-friendly atmosphere.

“We wanted to create a more functional and employee-friendly work environment that could evolve as NPC grows,” says Mandeville. “The end result provided ample, adaptable

ict, drawing more professionals to the area as well as the complementary businesses that serve them. GS&P’s vibrant and modern design will play a

space for expansion, upgraded audiovisual technology, and a unique character that captures the image of the company.”

With their new office space taking up nearly two floors in the recently updated corporate campus, NPC’s tenancy will help revitalize El Segundo’s business district, drawing more professionals to the area as well as the complementary businesses that serve them. GS&P’s vibrant and modern design will play an important role in attracting and retaining talent from across the area.

We wanted to create a more functional and employeefriendly work environment that could evolve as NPC grows.

Alyson Mandeville, Senior Interior Designer

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A RENOVATED PERSPECTIVE One of the first challenges GS&P faced interaction for a more effective working GS&P’s design encouraged further was designing a workplace that adhered environment. Workstations were outsocial interaction through enhanced to Jackson’s companywide standards for fitted with upgraded tools, including amenity spaces on both floors, including office sizing, while helping NPC execdual monitor arms, ergonomic chairs cafés, lounge areas and other gathering utives adapt to the significant changes and proper task lighting. High panspaces where associates can escape work to office space. for a moment of down“The new floor plan time. The café spaces also has smaller private offices Associates can see one another more provide informal meeting and a larger area of open areas for larger gatherings readily and converse more easily, workstations, and we or functions. The design faced some initial resisteam intentionally infused all of which makes for a more tance to downsizing the these areas with a lively, collaborative environment. private offices,” notes fun and youthful atmoMandeville. “But the clisphere, and plenty of natAlyson Mandeville ent wanted directors and ural light. managers working side “Rather than having by side so that organizational changes els were removed, and most private to leave for lunch every day, the staff wouldn’t constantly involve moving offices were pulled inward away from now has plenty of café and break space people around. Standardized private the windows so that the sight lines inside the office,” says Mandeville. “In the old location, associates preferred office sizes for senior vice presidents were open to all staff. The result was also meant more flexibility overall.” more natural daylight and exceptional, going outside rather than staying in the With a more balanced approach to unhindered views. breakroom. These café spaces have great office and workstation space, the NPC “Associates can see one another more access to views and different types of staff and managers realized they could readily and converse more easily, all of seating. Employees can also bring their expand shared spaces for meetings, which makes for a more collaborative laptops to work from the breakrooms environment,” says Mandeville. for a change of pace.” training and amenities, and increase

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17th-floor shared workstations

17th-floor offices

18th-floor offices

Total usable square feet

18th-floor shared workstations

Square feet per person

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WEST COAST INSPIRATION

While GS&P’s design increased the office’s functionality, the aesthetics of the design aimed to reflect the distinct beauty of the West Coast.

“The client communicated that they wanted the headquarters to have that quintessential California feel,” says Mandeville. “Our design features recycled materials, beach tones and textures, and live greenery throughout the space. We also put the local culture on display through original paintings and photography from area artists.”

The lobby and reception area provide visitors and clients with the

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first impression of NPC’s vibrant and energetic atmosphere. Inspired by the California coast, the external environment is reflected on the inside through charcoal wood tones and driftwood textures paired with the company brand’s classic shade of blue.

“We used high-contrast colors of grays and whites with doses of blue inspired by the sea,” explains Mandeville.

Situated off the main lobby is a pre-function space that leads into a boardroom. The boardroom includes a back entry that offers convenience to staff and improves office circulation.

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Horizontal patterns on the flooring, carpet and wood-paneled ceiling direct the eye toward the views of the Pacific Ocean and mountains on the horizon, increasing the connection to nature.

“Another common space included in GS&P’s design is the dedicated training center, where NPC can host continuing education programs and train new and existing associates,” says Mandeville.

“Advanced audiovisual technology, including high-quality panel displays in both the boardroom and training center, allows conferencing with remote staff.”

The lobby and reception are the first and last impressions of the organization. Charcoal wood tones and driftwood textures inspired by the California coast are coupled with the company brand's classic shade of blue.

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they wanted the headquarters to have THAT quintessential California feel.

Alyson Mandeville

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AN ECO-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE

Perhaps nothing is more quintessentially Californian than environmental sustainability. GS&P has long prided itself on good environmental stewardship through sustainability best practices. As part of the overall interior, eco-friendly features include efficient plumbing and water submetering, on-site recycling, an air filtration system, and pollutant control to prevent any off-gassing from furniture or carpet fabrics.

“California is highly regulated with stringent green building codes and seismic zoning,” explains Mandeville. “The California Green Building Standards Code is a lot like LEED certification, only

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it’s a rule, not a guideline. There were atypical details and requirements we had to navigate that we don’t encounter anywhere else. We had to include a lot of documentation in our drawings and take in certain considerations during the buildout to ensure an earthquake-resistant structure.”

Since California is known to have frequent power outages for extended periods, GS&P also designed secure and robust technology infrastructures, and installed a dedicated, uninterrupted power supply for workstations and offices to minimize disruptions and lost work.

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Smart sustainability practices are just one way in which GS&P’s design contributed to NPC’s general business efficiencies and economic returns.

“At their new location, NPC is saving $1 million a year on their rent,” says Mandeville. “We further increased operational efficiencies with a better HVAC system and updated, energy-efficient office equipment. Rather than have individual printers at every desk, we installed centralized printing, which helps reduce ink and paper usage. We also used economical carpet and decorative finishes to keep the budget intact.”

There were atypical details and requirements we had to navigate that we don’t encounter anywhere else.

Alyson Mandeville

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CafĂŠ spaces promote social engagement and can double as informal meeting areas.

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Delivered on time and within budget, GS&P’s distinctive “Californian” design effectively accommodates the needs of NPC’s growing staff while providing a functional, sustainable, modern and employee-centered workplace that can easily adapt to the organization’s varied work strategies and organizational changes. Mandeville notes that the client has been very happy with the results: “Their president and CEO, John Johnson, personally thanked me for embracing their desire for a contemporary California workplace. I'm proud of how we translated their vision into a space that truly reflects who they are.”

“We are very pleased with NPC’s youthful, vibrant workplace,” concurs Greg Farhat, director of workplace strategies and delivery at Jackson. “We plan to use it as a prototype for office space in the future. The project adheres to California’s Green Code related to energy, materials and sources, and goes several steps further with other sustainable design elements. We’re confident the thoughtful design creates a comfortable environment for our associates to enhance their productivity.”

We are very pleased with NPC's youthful, vibrant workplace. we plan to use it as a prototype for office space in the future.

Greg Farhat, Director of Workplace Strategies and Delivery, Jackson®

1. Secure and robust technology infrastructures were designed due to California’s frequent power outages.

2. Audiovisual technology provides the option to teleconference. 3. The boardroom is situated off the main lobby, making it convenient for visitors.

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TE AM PIC Jack Weber, iida, mcr, leed ap PM, PP, PD Alyson B. Mandeville, iida, edac PC Katrina Pasteur, aia, ncarb

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Norfolk Airport - Comprehensive Airport Improvements Norfolk Airport - Comprehensive Airport Improvements

LOCATIO N

Norfolk, Virginia C LIENT

Norfolk Airport Authority S ERVICES

Architecture Environmental Graphics Interior Design Structural Engineering

he vibrant city of Norfolk, Virginia, home to the world’s largest naval base, is the state’s second most populous city and serves as the hub of one of the most active transportation and shipping areas on the eastern seaboard. Given this unique status, Norfolk International Airport (ORF) plays an integral role in servicing the millions of passengers flying in and out of the city during the year, making it the third-busiest airport in Virginia.

Established in 1938, the airport has seen a succession of remodels and additions intended to keep pace with increasing demand over the years. In 2010, looking to update and extend the life of the existing terminal, Norfolk Airport Authority (NAA) solicited GS&P to deliver on-call architectural planning and design services for the modernization of the airport’s terminal facility, including a new security checkpoint.

“The facility hadn’t seen any upgrades for around 30 years,” explains architecture principal Wilson Rayfield. “So the client’s main goal was to refresh the facility and improve the overall passenger experience.”

Working closely with NAA to develop a long-term vision that would transform the airport terminal into a modern, bright and passenger-friendly facility, the design team formulated a multiphased renovation plan encompassing three separate phases. Phase I comprised renovations to the existing departures building, a new skylight, a new, expanded security checkpoint, and facility-wide interior finish upgrades.

The client’s main goal was to refresh the facility and improve the overall passenger experience.

WIL SON R AYFIELD, A RC HITECTU RE PRI NC I PA L

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Emphasizing an “Airport in a Garden” One of the most dramatic features of the phase I renovation was the addition of a 10,000-square-foot skylight feature.

Constructed in the departure building’s central atrium to emphasize Norfolk’s vision of an “Airport in a Garden,” the stunning new skylight provides significant natural light to support interior landscaping and seating in the central terminal space, and transforms the departures atrium into a showpiece that sharply contrasts with its circa 1970s predecessor.

Built in 1974, the existing departures building featured a visually heavy and dark ceiling, and a space cluttered with shopping pergolas, potted plants and seating. This dated amalgamation impeded circulation, limited sight lines and created zones of congestion. The client desired a plan that remedied congestion and supported an “Airportin-a-Garden” theme involving enhanced light and well-placed greenery. However, the ultimate design of the skylight took that idea well beyond the initial concept.

“The skylight was a collective effort,” says Rayfield. “The client expressed what they wanted, we worked through ideas with them, then came up with a concept. The size, magnitude and impact of the skylight exceeded all our expectations.”

With the skylight as a visual centerpiece, designing the garden was next. Project designer Julia Bradley Rayfield envisioned a clean, modern approach, taking inspiration from the natural surroundings.

“The airport is situated adjacent to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens,” notes Bradley Rayfield. “The client felt that was a unique aspect of the location and wanted a garden presence in the building.

“A lot of airports don’t want the hassle of plants because of the cost of maintenance, and it’s usually a struggle to get foliage to survive in an airport environment because there isn’t enough natural light. We realized that once we made the change with the skylight, it would very much change their ability to have a successful planting below it.”

Intent on keeping the space open, the team decided to move away from potted plants and, instead, went with large, custom-built planters that could create forms in the atrium and make room for special events as needed.

“The planters serve a number of key purposes,” says Bradley Rayfield.

“They create little rooms within the big room, so they define circulation routes and create ‘quiet corners’ for passengers that feature various seating options.

They also hold significant plantings that are not only surviving but thriving because of the natural light.”

It was extremely satisfying to see completely different user groups utilize the space exactly as we’d hoped.

JULIA BR ADLE Y R AYFIELD, PROJ ECT DESI G NE R

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BEFORE

Right: Prior to the renovation, the departures atrium was dark, cluttered and obstructed.

AFTER

TO ARRIVALS/BAGGAGE CLAIM

TO ARRIVALS/BAGGAGE CLAIM Pergolas and potted plants were moved, which streamlined circulation, opened up views and created “quiet corners” for seating.

Prior to the renovation, passengers were forced to circulate at the perimeter of a retail roundabout area, congesting vertical circulation.

CONCOURSE A

CONCOURSE A

AFTER CONCOURSE B

CONCOURSE B

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The size, magnitude and impact of the skylight exceeded all our expectations.

WIL SON R AYFIELD

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Security Checkpoint Expansion Phase I of the multiphased effort also included a new security screening checkpoint for Concourse B. Challenges at the existing screening area were many, with long lines snaking their way from the security checkpoint and into the departures building atrium, which, prior to the renovation, already struggled with congestion and circulation issues. The checkpoint was cramped, often hot, and didn’t provide the space necessary for equipment upgrades.

The new checkpoint not only alleviates congestion in the near term, but also supports long-term growth with space for additional equipment to increase screening capacity and throughput. The column-free space also provides flexibility in equipment configuration as well as better circulation and sight lines.

The ambiance was enhanced with full-height glass walls, wood-clad beams, a travertine-stone feature wall, and patterned terrazzo that picks up on the simple banding design from the atrium.

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Six-lane checkpoint 6 Lane Checkpoint

Significantly reducing passenger congestion, the comprehensive expansion provides a bright and open space that features exterior views to improve one of the most stressful elements of the air travel experience.

“We looked at forecasted passenger growth into the next 20, 30 and 40 years,” says Rayfield. “Our goal was not just to achieve improvements for today, but to give the airport the ability to expand and pick up additional screening protocols that may not even exist today. We wanted to give them some flexibility for the long term.”

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Exit Lane

Maintaining Passenger Access Constructing a new security checkpoint at a functioning airport also came with its own unique set of technical challenges.

“In order to maintain passenger access, the entire new building envelope had to be constructed around the existing passenger access bridge before any demolition could begin,” says Rayfield. “That was fairly complex in itself, but was compounded by the

fact that the existing bridge spanned across the outbound baggage route for the entire airport and an active service yard for concession deliveries and waste removal. To maintain access and operations, we clearly delineated work hours and activities that defined very specific construction phasing.”

Our goal was not just to achieve improvements for today, but to give the airport the ability to expand and pick up additional screening protocols that may not even exist today.

WIL SON R AYFIELD

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Interior Upgrades A significant goal of the phase I renovations was to create an environment that invited people in to use the space—not merely pass around it.

“Once we opened up the atrium by removing the pergolas and potted plant installations, we could turn it into a pleasant place to dwell,” explains Bradley Rayfield. “With good circulation possible, and the skylight flooding the space with natural light, opportunities were quickly presented for how the passenger and visitor experience could be further improved.”

Furniture was selected in shapes and sizes to accommodate a wide range of users. Some groupings were playful enough to appeal to children; others offered comfort and privacy to working travelers. Bradley Rayfield describes walking through the airport observing the end results.

“Small children were climbing over the little stools that look like pebbles joined together in a serpentine shape.

Strollers were parked around them, and they weren’t in anyone’s way. It was great to see that, because we’d intentionally put that arrangement near the family restroom and in front of the toy shop.

“In another area, a woman was in one of the big, wide chairs, laptop in her lap, with a phone on one side and a pile of papers on the other. I asked if she’d ever worked in the atrium before and she replied, ‘I fly out of here all the time but never thought of working in this area before. Now I plan to get here a little early so I can send emails and do a few last-minute things before I head out to my plane.’ It was extremely satisfying to see completely different user groups utilize the space exactly as we’d hoped.”

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The geometry of a mariner’s astrolabe and quadrant were the inspiration for the terrazzo pattern throughout the concourse.

The Astrolabe/Quadrant Floor A key element of the phase I interior makeover was the flooring. Hold room and atrium areas were appointed with highly camouflaging carpet tile; other sections of the atrium and circulation areas were finished with poured terrazzo in designs of varying palettes and complexities. But perhaps the artistic highlight is the strikingly detailed concourse floor that evokes a maritime motif of the Norfolk region. The design evolved from brainstorming sessions between GS&P’s interior design team and the NAA board. Bradley Rayfield describes the process: “They decided a maritime design honored the military of today and the birth of the Norfolk region. We explored navigation by the stars, water currents, movements and patterns. With a vote from the board, we settled on a maritime navigation concept. We looked at the astrolabe and quadrant, and took the geometry and general arc from those.

That arc becomes the fluid line, like a wave or a current, that speaks to the water theme. Aluminum plates were cut with the specific numbers and markings of the quadrant. Those features are set into the terrazzo, and from there, the arcs splay out and wind their way down the concourse. Interspersed along the length of the concourse are the bands which begin in the atrium and provide consistent rhythm.”

The pattern is positioned to evoke waves, motion and navigation that is unique to Norfolk’s coastal and maritime influences.

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Energy Efficiency, Day and Night In terms of energy efficiency, GS&P’s skylight design maximized opportunities. Glazed with a high-performance, low-e glass with a ceramic frit to reduce radiant heat gain, the skylight lets in enough natural light during daytime hours that little artificial lighting is necessary. The lighting control system relies on a time clock and light sensors to control usage.

“Artificial lighting only comes on when needed: at night or on overcast days,” says Rayfield. “During times of low activity between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., the system limits artificial lighting to lower levels because it knows that’s not an active time for the airport.”

A similar control system is in place at the new security checkpoint.

“The checkpoint opens at 5 a.m. and the last flight leaves at 8 p.m.,” Rayfield explains. “The lighting within the screening area drops to a reduced level after that last flight but is on a separate control system than the adjacent exit lane to accommodate arrivals as late as midnight.”

Other energy-saving measures were built into the full-height glass walls in the checkpoint. While the walls fulfill the client’s desire to bring in as much natural light and outside views as possible, their south-facing exposure required modifications.

“The glass wall has exterior horizontal sunshade louvers, set at a spacing and length to ensure that high summer sun is blocked, reducing solar heat gain,” says Rayfield. “Conversely, they’re short enough that lower winter sun will hit the glass, creating the advantage of radiant heat during the winter.”

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”Wow; I LOVE Virginia!”

Dramatically enhancing both the aesthetics and function of Norfolk International Airport’s terminal facilities, GS&P’s phase I improvements not only create an atmosphere that’s appealing to travelers, but also give this gateway to southeastern Virginia a fresh, efficient and energetic design direction while supporting ORF’s long-term passenger growth and needs. Construction of phases II and III interior renovations for the airport terminal, designed by GS&P, are slated for completion in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Rayfield confirms the impact of what’s been accomplished in phase I, which garnered the prestigious Excellence in Construction Award (2014) from Associated Builders and Contractors - Virginia Chapter:

“Airports are the first and last impressions a person has of a place they travel to. I’ve heard comments from others in the industry who’ve flown through Norfolk since the renovation, and they couldn’t believe how impactful the space is now. It is incredible, and people don’t hesitate to point that out.”

As for the client’s mandate to create a place that people wanted to use, Rayfield continues: “The renovation has given them that opportunity. People interact

and spend time there; it’s a common area for meeters and greeters. They have a high military presence in Norfolk, so

Bradley Rayfield shares a similar sentiment: “It’s a great feeling to see a drastic improvement and know that what you’ve done isn’t for fashion or a whim with limited shelf life; what we’ve done will last decades.

It’s timeless, yet not bland.

Even children are impressed by the improvements. A young mother walked past me with her little boy, and when he got to the big windows, he jumped up and down and yelled, ‘Wow; I love Virginia!’ That’s the kind of stuff that makes your day.”

What we’ve done will last decades.

JULIA BR ADLE Y R AYFIELD a lot of their travelers are military personnel coming to the base or back from service to go home. Many times I’ve seen families with big signs for their arriving loved ones; the redesign gave them the space to do that.”

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TE AM PIC David L. King, aia, ncarb PM Wilson P. Rayfield Jr., aia, ncarb, leed ap PP Todd P. Martin, aia PC Eric Sweet, cid, iida PC Matthew B. Amos, aia, leed ap PD Julia Bradley Rayfield, cid, iida

Hollie Bertch Thomas E. Bradbury John D. Brew, p.e.

Kristina Cameron John David Chesak, p.e.

Robert Fuller, aia Erin Hackler, aia, leed ap Jordan Nolan Amanda Slack Murray, aia, leed ap bd+c

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A NEW

IN HOSPITAL DESIGN Novant Health - Haymarket Medical Center

LOCATION

CL I E NT

SE RVI C ES

Haymarket, Virginia

Novant Health

Architecture

Planning

Interior Design

Structural Engineering

n 2006, Prince William Health System selected GS&P to develop the master plan for Haymarket Medical Center to serve the growing and diverse Northern Virginia community. The comprehensive plan informed the phase I development of the campus consisting of an ambulatory care center, a freestanding emergency department, an ambulatory surgery center, and a medical office building.

When Novant Health (NH) acquired Prince William Health System in 2010, they called upon GS&P to complete the master plan with the design of the second phase of the development, a 221,000-square-foot, 104-bed hospital comprising a 20-bed emergency department, a 10-bed observation unit, four operating rooms, an eight-bed intensive care unit, and women’s services.

“This project was extremely important to Novant Health because it represented the first major move for them in Virginia,” explains senior healthcare principal Paul Braun. “They wanted to effectively demonstrate their commitment to the community as well as fulfill obligations made when they acquired Prince William Health System.”

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PHASE II

A THOUGHTFUL INTEGRATION Built into the master plan were elements that supported the cohesive integration of the hospital and the phase I structure.

GS&P was instrumental in leveraging the phase I development to the fullest extent by seeking and receiving approval from the Virginia Department of Health to allow the hospital to share services with the existing ambulatory care center.

“We developed the campus master plan with the foresight of the hospital becoming an integral part of the ambulatory care environment,” says Braun. “We started out with the phase I ambulatory care center, and as we were planning for that building, we set up zones on the site for inpatient and outpatient care, starting with low-acuity care and wellness at the ACC.

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“The master plan not only gave us a jumpstart in terms of the planning and design of the phase II development, but it also provided a highly efficient way to approach the creation of systems of operation.”

Blending seamlessly with the existing architecture, the integration of the phase II hospital with the phase I ambulatory care center not only maximizes patient convenience but also increases operational efficiency—two key goals for Novant Health.

Integration of PHASES I & II EMERGENCY

CONNECTION TO PHASE I MOB

PHASE II IMAGING PHASE I IMAGING

PHASE I CONNECTION TO IMAGING

We developed the campus master plan with the foresight of the hospital becoming an integral part of the ambulatory care environment.�

Paul Braun, Senior Healthcare Principal SHOWCASE

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FOCUSING ON PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS

Along with integrating phases I and II of the master plan, GS&P was charged with helping to develop a hospital prototypical design toolkit that reinforced Novant Health’s care delivery model. The design team worked closely with NH to define specific elements of the toolkit, enmeshing solutions from several resources provided by the client with GS&P’s own analysis and design interpretations.

“Developing a prototypical design toolkit is an effective way to approach not only the planning and design of a hospital, but how healthcare can move to the next level in terms of creating a system of how they operate, and seeing that system evolve and improve as they go along,” explains Braun. “It helps Novant realize what their mission and vision is, which is to ‘deliver the most remarkable patient experience in every dimension, every time,’ and helps that vision become a reality.”

HUDDLE STATION PATIENT ROOM

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One of the client’s main initiatives was to design prototypes that would allow caregivers to be at their patients’ bedside 80 percent of the time.

“We focused heavily on the patient-caregiver relationship with the nursing unit design,” says senior architect Kristen Bell. “We designed the space so nursing is decentralized at huddle stations that give both physicians and nurses ample space for collaborating on a patient’s care plan.”

Each huddle station is central to six patient rooms. Nurse servers are located at each pair of patient rooms, offering “justin-time delivery” for both medications and supplies. Documentation stations are located in each patient room rather than at a centralized nurse station.

“We arranged medicines and services so that nurses aren’t running around trying to find the tools they need to take care of their patients,” notes Braun. “The nursing staff has reported that they’re happy they don’t have to spend time hunting for supplies and materials anymore—they’re all right there next to the patient.”

Each huddle station is central to six patient rooms. Nurses are located at each pair of patient rooms, offering “just-in-time delivery” for both medications and supplies.

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MAXIMIZING THROUGHPUT EFFICIENCY Reinforcing Novant Health’s mission and vision, the hospital’s emergency department was designed with patient convenience, comfort and safety in mind.

“The ED was planned and designed around the concept that there are both ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ patient treatment rooms, so it’s set up in two separate zones,” explains Braun. “One is for the vertical type of patient—those who need emergency care but it’s non-life-threatening. Vertical treatment rooms are sectored around an area where patients wait while their tests results are being run. They’re set up in a very efficient manner, located next to another waiting area so that a patient isn’t occupying a treatment space when they don’t really need it.

“The horizontal treatment rooms are in the second tier once you come into the ED, and that’s where more of the acute and critical type of activities occur. Those rooms are located adjacent

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to an observation area where patients requiring additional time for evaluation have a more comfortable environment, with a bed instead of a stretcher, and access to individual patient bathrooms. So it’s a very fluid arrangement of functions.”

Also maximizing throughput efficiency, a dedicated elevator (located next to the critical area of the ED) goes up one floor to the ORs, allowing patients who require emergency surgery fast access to the surgical suite. Those who arrive with life-threatening conditions are a swift elevator ride away from the intensive care unit located on the third floor.

Typical treatment room in the ED

Typical OR

ED Development PUBLIC WAITING VERTICAL TREATMENT ROOMS HORIZONTAL TREATMENT ROOMS ELEVATOR

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THE NEED FOR SPEED Speed-to-market while still maintaining the highest level of quality was another key driver for the project. Braun explains: “We were tasked with completing the project in a record six-month time frame. We committed to that schedule, but as we were going through the process, the client needed to further develop their prototypical standards and we were given an extra month to complete the construction documents. We met that target and designed 221,000 square feet in seven months.”

Similarly assisting the schedule was the timing of construction, with commencement of the actual work starting

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three months prior to completion of the construction documents.

“It was very much a fast-track process,” says Braun. “We started our design in December 2011, and they began site work in May of the following year. So we were about four or five months into the design and were able to support construction starting within that time frame.”

BEATING THE BUDGET Completing the design of the hospital within budget required out-of-the-box thinking and innovative design strategies that fostered a close collaboration between the GS&P team, Novant Health and general contractor Brasfield & Gorrie. This collective team effort ultimately resulted in significant project savings.

“Our first responsibility was to the project budget,” notes senior architect Derek Mott. “Novant was committed to achieving their vision within their budget parameters. Brasfield & Gorrie brought some suggestions on how to reduce the cost of the hospital’s exterior skin while still meeting the owner’s objectives.

“One of the key things we did was reduce the amount of brick on the structure while adhering to the property’s covenant that required a certain percentage of brick be used. In excess of that prerequisite, we substituted a different type of masonry—a decorative concrete block—at higher elevations on the upper

floors so that it wouldn’t necessarily be material that you interfaced with as a patient or a visitor.

“Between using the most economic material at a higher elevation in the building and reducing the amount of curtain wall in favor of storefront glazing, we were able to save around $750,000 on the exterior skin. Not only did total construction costs come in under budget, but the contractor was able to return a surplus to the owner.”

Not only did total construction costs come in under budget, but the contractor was able to return a surplus to the owner.”

Derek Mott, Senior Architect SHOWCASE

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A BENCHMARK FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY Designing a hospital that would serve as a benchmark in the industry for energy efficiency was a top priority for Novant Health. To accomplish this, the design team implemented energy-saving strategies and efficiency measures whenever possible, and in cost-conscious ways.

“Energy modeling was performed during the early design phases, taking into account solar orientation and heat gain factors,” says project coordinator Brad Sucher. “We had to make sure the orientation of the building was at proper angles, and that everything operated efficiently. We used a good portion of the energy modeling to prove those results.”

Additionally, GS&P’s engineering team worked closely with the client to design the hospital’s mechanical and electrical systems for optimum energy efficiency. The building achieved an ENERGY STAR rating of 80 by utilizing energy-saving strategies, and building in controls such as occupancy sensors, energy-recovery systems, heat pump chillers, critical valve resets on air and hydronic systems, variable speed pumping systems, and lighting control systems.

Novant Health also set a directive for the team to utilize sustainable, local materials as much as possible.

“The stone used on the exterior was locally sourced from Manassas,” says Mott. “We focused on materials that per­formed well and were economical, and made sure we had low-VOCs inside; something that’s becoming a standard in hospital projects.”

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

BUILT-IN OCCUPANCY SENSORS

ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEMS

CRITICAL VALVE RESETS ON AIR AND HYDRONIC SYSTEMS

SOLAR SHADING

VARIABLE SPEEDPUMPING SYSTEMS

LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEMS

HEAT PUMP CHILLERS

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A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF TEAMWORK Setting new standards for speed-to-market design, patient care, and operational efficiency, Haymarket Medical Center was conceptualized, produced, permitted and constructed within just 24 months, with square footage costs well below the national average for this type of occupancy and construction. The design team successfully created the benchmark prototypical hospital Novant Health was seeking through teamwork, collaboration, communication and dedication.

“When I think about this project, the first thing that comes to mind is the teamwork and commitment that was involved,” says Mott. “From the very beginning it was clear that it was an interactive and constructive team approach between the owner, the design team, the engineers and the contractor. Everyone was in it together, and that set the tone for the entire project.”

Recipient of the 2014 Washington Building Congress Craftsmanship Award, the project’s success was confirmed

by Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health, at the hospital’s opening ceremony.

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“Novant’s CEO announced that Haymarket Medical Center was the highest-performing hospital in the entire Novant Health system, and that their goals had been realized,” says Braun. “He also noted that he really liked GS&P’s planning and design.

“We’ve since been hired to design another hospital for Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we’re going to take this prototype to another level, pushing the envelope to look at ways of providing higher levels of patient care within a more efficient type of environment. As part of this process, GS&P has completed a post-occupancy evaluation of Haymarket Medical Center to examine ways to continuously improve the design, with a specific goal toward patient satisfaction.”

Square fEEt

BEDS (HOSPITAL)

BEDS (EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT)

BEDs (OBESERVATION UNIT)

beds (ICU)

operating rooms SHOWCASE

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TE AM PIC David L. King, aia, ncarb PM Paul V. Braun, aia, edac PP Kristen C. Bell, aia, edac, leed ap PP Derek J. Mott, aia, leed ap P C Brad Sucher, assoc. aia, leed ap P C James A. Gill PD James R. Kolb, aia, leed ap

Helga Bolyard Buddy Burks, p.e.

Kristina Cameron Denise Cramer, cid James D. Graham Beth R. Hiltonen, iida, leed ap Kevin W. Hopkins, aia, ncarb, leed ap bd+c Rob Fuller, aia Louis Medcalf, fcsi, ccs Jordan Nolan Julia Bradley Rayfield, cid, iida Sydney Reddoch Jennifer M. Shupe, p.e.

Scott J. Swanson, cdt, aia, leed ap Eric Sweet, cid, iida R.J. Tazelaar, p.e.

Bryan A. Tharpe, p.e.

Ray A. York, Jr.

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2"

STRIKING SYMBOL OF GROWTH + UNITY

8"

A

1" 2"

GN

5'-0"

ARCHITECTURAL P COLUMN

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REVEAL WITH 3/8" SE TO ALIGN WITH FALS (TYPICAL).

Sid McDonald Hall – The University of Alabama System

C.J. LOCATIO N

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

135 .00 0°

C LIENT

S ERVICES

Architecture Interior Design

6'-3 1/8"

The University of Alabama System

05

C

2'-0"

onsisting of three doctoral research universities: The University of Alabama (UA), The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), The University of Alabama System (UAS) is the state’s largest higher education enterprise, serving more than 62,000 students.

The UA System maintains offices in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. After working from three separate buildings in Tuscaloosa for more than 40 years, System leaders decided it was time to consolidate the administrative operations into one centrally located facility, where the chancellor and senior staff are primarily located.

GS&P had previously partnered with UA on the renovation of Moore Hall, and was selected by UAS once again to provide architecture and interior design services for a new 35,000-square-foot administration building on University Boulevard.

“System staff working in Tuscaloosa were previously housed in multiple off-campus buildings,” explains project architect Jennifer Carr. “It was clear from our very first meeting with leadership that it was of the utmost importance to bring their staff together not only to provide a central, unified location, but to break down the ‘silos’ of communication. So, along with creating a functional and efficient workspace for staff, they desired a design that encouraged dynamic interaction between the various departments.”

In addition to uniting staff to foster a more collaborative and cohesive environment, another key client mandate was that the new facility represent the collective strength of all three universities within the System. Also critical to leadership was that the building establish an iconic and enduring image of UAS that represented the dedication and commitment of the trustees, as well as trustee emeritus and building-fund donor the late Sid McDonald, a well-known and respected Alabama business and civic leader.

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UAS decided it was time to consolidate their administrative operations into one iconic building.

Along with creating a functional and efficient workspace for staff, they desired a design that encouraged dynamic ARCHITECTURAL PRECAST interaction between the various departments.

COLUMN Jennifer Carr, PROJECT A RC HITECT

”

DECORATIVE JOINTS SHOWCASE

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“

We implemented office standards into the program that not only increase spatial efficiency, but also allow spaces to function

in a multitude of ways.

Jennifer Carr

The design team toured each UAS campus, collecting imagery and additional data to experience a more personal interaction.

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”

UNIFICATION THROUGH PROGRAMMING One of the most significant challenges during the programming phase was developing office standards. Carr explains: “System staff were not only physically separated from one another, but had also adapted to working in residential spaces. We felt that it was vital to meet with staff members individually to determine their roles, how they worked, and what they ultimately wanted their workspace to be.

OFFICE 1 STANDARD

“We also used questionnaires and on-site observation to better understand their current working conditions and what would be needed for daily functions and future growth. Based on that personal feedback and observation, we implemented office standards into the program that not only increase spatial efficiency, but also allow spaces to function in a multitude of ways.”

OFFICE 2 STANDARD

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Highlighted areas represent the primary and secondary axes.

These were established to create connection and movement between the interior and exterior.

STAIR

CONFERENCE ROOM

UP

VESTIBULE

CORRIDOR

UP

ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL OPERATIONS

ASST. VICE CHANCELLOR FOR CONSTRUCTION MGMT.

UP

UP

DIRECTOR OF HR

ACCOUNTANT

PAYROLL ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST

COPY/MAIL ROOM

UP

BOARD ROOM

UP

STAIR

COORDINATOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS

ELEV 2

BREAK ROOM ELEV EQUIP

VESTIBULE

RECEPTION LOBBY

CONFERENCE ROOM

WOMEN

OPEN STAIR

401 STUDENTS

ELECTRICAL

CUST.

UP

FILE ROOM STORAGE

MECHANICAL CORRIDOR ELEV 1 IT ROOM

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSOCIATE FOR FINANCE & OPERATIONS

MOTHER'S ROOM

VEST.

AV ROOM

ELEV. EQUIP

GALLERY UNISEX

MEN

CUSTODIAL BULK STORAGE

VESTIBULE

CORRIDOR EXECUTIVE VICE CHANCELLOR FOR FINANCE & OPERATIONS

FUTURE

ASSISTANT TO CHANCELLOR

GENERAL AUDITOR

CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER

MANAGER OF INVESTMENT ACCOUNTING

INVESTMENT STORAGE COMPLIANCE ANALYST

STUDENT WORK ROOM

 

THE

POWER OF THREE

“

UA showed us that by utilizing neoclassical proportions the end result is a beautiful facility that not only fits into the aesthetic context of the campus, but also provides

1

RESEARCH

TECHNOLOGY

3

TRADITION

spaces that simply feel good.

PARTI

2

Gathering data from staff wasn’t the showed us that by utilizing neoclasonly source to inform the designers. sical proportions the end result is a The team researched each campus to beautiful facility that not only fits into understand their individual mission the aesthetic context of the campus, statements and but also provides master plans to spaces that simply help them incorfeel good.” porate the three “It was also different univervery important to sity cultures into the client, and to the new building. us, to create a conThey also toured nection between the interior and the campuses, exterior,” adds collecting imagCarr. “If there ery and additional data to experience was a special elea more personal ment on the outinteraction with side, it needed each environment. to be equally ex“In support pressed on the of the client’s inside. For examgoals, we worked ple, the University to create a strong Boulevard entry design parti that was of particular organized the significance to plan and buildthe client because ing mass based they wanted to on their desired present an iconic, connection to the easily identifiable Poppy Tidwell, campus and the presence that reinPROJECT C O O RD INATO R representative eleforced the gateway ments of the three into the newly universities,” explains Carr. “The parti acquired Bryce Campus. We developed a was developed into three components— direct axis from this entry that features we referred to it as ‘the power of three.’ a beautifully detailed, transitionally It was intended that each one of these styled linear art gallery, which starts elements be distinctive and visually with a wood-clad entry element that pays symbolize the tenet of each campus: homage to the donor, Sid McDonald, as research, technology and tradition.” well as to the current members of the board of trustees.”

“UAB reinforced the concept of using research as the basis of our The axis terminates with the recepdesign, while UAH’s look toward the tionist function and an elegant entry into future became important in designing the boardroom, while a secondary axis a traditional space that incorporated extends from the primary pedestrian the latest in technology,” notes projentry and ends with a stunning vista ect coordinator Poppy Tidwell. “UA to the existing campus.

”

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SYNERGY + COLLABORATION Collaboration spaces of different sizes were incorporated into the design of the new facility. These areas helped to balance the traditional office configuration with opportunities for staff interaction—both inside and out. To support spontaneous and ongoing collaboration, the design team created adjacencies that promoted logical and efficient flow of staff throughout the building.

“We organized the departments that worked hand in hand so they were close to each other,” says Carr. “For example, the chancellor’s office is on the second

floor, so we consulted with him to see who he worked with on a daily basis and needed to be close to. We also arranged the floor plan so accessing the various departments would be easier, and incorporated pockets of meeting space within each area so if a staff member wants to meet in a more open environment, they have that option.”

Evidencing the success of this new synergism, UAS administration reports that the new facility hosts a variety of meetings and events, and has become a central hub for inter-institutional communication.

ADJACENCY DIAGRAM

The design team interviewed and observed staff members in existing environments to gain a better understanding of what would be needed for daily functions and future growth in the new facility.

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“

We organized the departments that worked hand in hand so they were close to each other.

Jennifer Carr

�

Collaboration spaces of different sizes were incorporated into the design of the facility. These areas helped to balance the traditional office configuration with opportunities for staff interaction.

Quality detailing on the exterior was paired with a transitional interior that incorporates new technology and collaborative areas.

09

COPPER FLASHING 1:12 MAX.

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C.J.

We focused on creating a landmark facility that not 135 .00 0° but aesthetically only supports staff operations, ties in with the existing campus buildings.

Jennifer Carr

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The two-story lobby reflects the same scale and detail as the neoclassical exterior.

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GS&P’s design successfully represents all three campuses while creating an iconic and timeless image for UAS. Built to last, the new facility features sustainable elements that support long-term durability, including an energy-efficient exterior envelope with high R-values within the walls and roof, recycled content finishes, energy-efficient glazing, and an HVAC system that allows for control of individual areas within

“

C.J.

135 .00 0° the building, significantly reducing energy consumption.

“Working on this project was a great honor for GS&P,” says Carr. “Throughout the design process, we focused on creating a landmark facility that not only 05 supports staff operations, but aesthetically ties in with the existing campus buildings. Our design achieves that, striking a unique balance between the traditional and the progressive, with neoclassical features that reinforce the campus architecture, and collaborative interiors that incorporate state-of-the-5'-0" art technology.

“As with many projects, there were design modifications along the way,” ALIGN notes Carr. “But we successfully met those challenges, and, in many ways, the new face of the university showcases that GS&P truly cares—if we do something, we want to do it the right way and see it through, no matter what changes may arise.”

Mike Rodgers, assistant vice chancellor of construction management at UAS, attests to the design team’s commitment and their ability to effectively adapt to change: “The GS&P team just rolled up their sleeves, communicated openly with us on design choices throughout the process, and got the job done. The end result is a finely designed classical building that makes a statement about The University of Alabama System and its tripartite mission.”

The end result is a finely designed classical building that makes a statement about The University of Alabama System and its tripartite mission.

”

Mike Rodgers, A S S I STA NT VI CE C HANCELLO R O F C O NSTRU CTI O N MA NAG E MENT, UAS

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PM Randall A. Naccari, ra, ncarb PA Jennifer T. Carr, aia, ncarb, leed ap PC Claire Neely PC Poppy Tidwell

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UF Health North

LOCATIO N

Jacksonville, Florida C LIENT

Landmark Healthcare Facilities UF Health S ERVICES

Architecture Environmental Graphics and Wayfinding Interior Design Site Design

espite a rapidly growing population, North Jacksonville, Florida, was once a medically underserved area, with the closest hospital approximately 10 miles away. In 2006, UF Health Jacksonville determined that building a hospital in this location would provide muchneeded medical services and an economic boost to the community, as well as fiscal diversity for the institution.

Leadership originally envisioned the project as a full-service community hospital with access to the sophistication and advanced technology typically found in an academic medical center. That vision transitioned into building a bedless hospital that would ultimately allow for the addition of 300 beds as part of a phased expansion.

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UF Health solicited GS&P to provide architecture, environmental graphics and wayfinding, interior design, and site design services for the project, with the goal of creating a leading-edge ambulatory care center and medical office complex in phase I, and a full-service inpatient hospital as part of phase II. “One of the more innovative design concepts that came out of this project was the idea of blending a medical office building with four stories of physician offices with a two-story hospital platform,” says senior architect Brian Schulz. “We made that connectivity as simple as possible so that

patients who are visiting their physicians can get a test done in the same building without having to leave. I think it’s a concept we’re going to see more of.”

“One of the main goals throughout the entire building was to make sure the patient knows that we care, and that UF Health cares,” adds Penny Houchens, senior interior designer.

THIRD-SIXTH FLOOR MOB shell space UF Health and community physicians will occupy the same office floors and have ready access to hospital floors.

SECOND FLOOR Perioperative, sterile processing, surgery and administration

ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION OPERATIONS PACU PRE-OP PUBLIC STAGE II RECOVERY SURGERY SURGERY SUPPORT VERTICAL CIRCULATION

FIRST FLOOR Registration, imaging, emergency and support services

ADMINISTRATION CIRCULATION DIAGNOSTICS EMERGENCY MATERIALS MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS PUBLIC VERTICAL CIRCULATION By eliminating unnecessary barriers between departments to reduce staff redundancy and increase efficiency, an economically sustainable facility is established.

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The building’s deep overhang shades the large expanses of glass from the intense Florida sun.

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THE VISION It was clear from the onset that something different, something dramatic and contemporary, was envisioned. UF Health sought a facility that would not only provide innovative medical care, but would do so in a setting that raised the standard for aesthetics and a positive patient experience.

“UF Health was interested in creating a design aesthetic that spoke to the state-of-the-art healthcare they provide to their patients,” explains Schulz. “As part of that goal, we proposed a very contemporary aesthetic and were thrilled they had a strong appetite for this type of design. The large expanses of glazing, the sleek aluminum panels, and some of the bold architectural moves, including the silver ribbon and the spinning forms that rotate on each other, speak to the dynamic state-of-the-art healthcare that UF Health provides.”

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SUSTAINABILITY IN DESIGN Incorporated into the design was a strong objective toward energy and cost savings, with sustainability elements in both material and construction choices. The team found the client to be very aware of that balance, making decisions easier. Schulz explains the process: “Working from the outside in, we selected low-e insulated glass, which brings in lots of natural daylighting, so we don’t need to use as much artificial lighting on the interior of the building. Glare and solar gain were controlled by adding a printed screen matrix to the west-facing glazing, which was a measure also used with the two stories of glass in the lobby.

“We also dropped light wells down into the interior of the building. So natural light is reaching departments that don’t usually expect to see daylight throughout the day. And that’s good for staff morale as well as wayfinding.”

Other sustainable measures include a publicly accessed roof garden and portions of vegetative green roofing The vegetated roof prevents glare on the MOB windows.

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that insulate and protect the roof systems while also reducing the heat island effect.

Along with sustainability measures, the design team took long-term maintenance savings into account.

“We went with no-wax flooring throughout the entire building as well as sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl tiles that are much more durable and lasting,” explains interior designer Carolyn Blake. “A lot of the countertops have solid surfaces instead of plastic laminate, so they’re going to hold up better over time and be much easier to maintain. In terms of cost-saving furnishings, the creation of modular nurse stations allows for reconfiguration over time, so future flexibility is also a benefit there.”

Also facilitating longevity, terrazzo flooring with a 50-year life span was included in the lobby.

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MAXIMIZING STAFF EFFICIENCY AND SATISFACTION Given the hospital’s mandate for fiscal feasibility, the key formula for its success was not only to attract UF Health physicians, but also community physicians not affiliated with the UF Health system.

“They wanted to get at least a 50/50 mix of doctors,” explains Joe Thompson, division vice president of GS&P’s Jacksonville office and principal-in-charge on the project. “In order to get good physician buy-in, the concept was to build the lower two floors as hospital-based and the upper floors as medical office building space. And the doctors loved it. It’s a very attractive part of the facility and why they are now 95-percent full.”

Similar economic and satisfaction goals impelled choices in the nursing staff space. For example, the layout and circulation systems provide protocols that reduce redundancies and increase efficiency, while carving out savings where possible.

“Staffing is the most expensive budget item for a facility, so we looked at maximizing efficiency with the least amount of staff,” says Houchens. “On the first floor, radiology in the emergency department is designed more

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like a universal care suite. Since their census for the ED is higher on the weekends and after 6 p.m., rooms not being used during quieter times will be reassigned to other departments, with staff being cross-trained, making the building as efficient as possible.”

“That connection between radiology and the ED is critical because of the diagnostic equipment that’s required in both spaces,” adds Schulz. “Instead of duplicating equipment, which is very expensive, diagnostic spaces are put on the boundary between the ED and radiology, so equipment can be used on either side of the line.”

On the second floor, similar flex space between key treatment areas permits logical adaptation of those areas as well, particularly as the construction of the hospital evolves.

As an academic hospital expanding to include a community facility, UF Health North understood that cultural changes would be part of the

equation. In seeking to make that transition as seamless as possible, GS&P brought in Soyring Consulting to assist with financial analysis and operational input, as well as engaging UF Health physicians to participate in design meetings and best practices discussions.

Staff satisfaction was further enhanced by the inclusion of a fitness center, large meeting areas, and venues for educational interaction. An abundance of light wells and outside views were incorporated, with stations pulled closer to windows built with transparent elements that allow natural light to flood the central nurse station and support areas.

“Ninety percent of the space has daylight or outside views,” notes Schulz, “so staff always know what time of day it is, and that’s better for their quality of work.”

Light wells bring natural light deep into the waiting area, providing a positive experience for patients.

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY One of UF Health’s key goals for the project was the integration of technology into the building as well as the overall culture of the facility.

“Technology was one of our main design drivers,” explains Houchens. “The client recognized that accommodating visitors’ and patients’ devices was very important for the user experience, so power is built in to occasional tables and lounge seating throughout the lobby, ED and surgery waiting areas.”

Other technologies include point-ofcare registration, information kiosks,

and real-time locating systems that can track assets, personnel and patients.

Nurse stations feature systems furniture to accommodate changing technology, while furniture in the consultation rooms allows the patient and practitioner to sit side by side to review images on a monitor.

“The facility was designed with a robust infrastructure for future technology,” notes Houchens. “For example, the emergency department and perioperative rooms can accommodate interactive footwalls in the future.”

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Furniture throughout the waiting areas is designed to accommodate a variety of needs.

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The site’s adjacency to protected wetlands inspired the interior textures, colors and artwork.

HEALING, IN ART AND DESIGN Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of new medical design is its embrace of “healing art” in response to research showing that patient convenience and comfort is aided by the aesthetics of a medical facility. That philosophy is evidenced by the myriad of choices made at UF Health North.

The unique details of the site’s location, adjacent to protected wetlands and waterways, inspired a clean, environmentally sensitive approach to the interior design. Houchens describes the evolution: “What is special about the area is the marsh—it’s beautiful, with lots

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of color, and there’s actually some graphic nature to it. We tried to evoke the motion and feeling of that natural space using a balance of textures, colors and artwork that really brought in the environment of the area. The client wanted a high-tech, contemporary building, so we struck a balance between the cold and stark, and the warm and inviting. When you enter in the building, it’s a very welcoming, light and happy place. We worked hard to achieve that.”

GS&P’s interior design employs a crisp, modern look, with richly stained wood, upscale finishes, and

warm, textured furniture groupings.

Innovative features include color-changing LEDs on a two-story, artfully patterned feature wall, with backlit desks and various other hightech elements featured in the design.

“The overall statement is of a contemporary, state-of-the-art environment, with intuitive wayfinding and little moments of interest and intimacy throughout,” says Blake.

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PHASE II 92 beds

PHASES OF GROWTH Opened to the public in 2015, phase I encompasses two hospital floors housing emergency, imaging, surgery and support services, as well as four floors of physician office space situated immediately above the hospital floors. Phase II will incorporate the first 92 beds.

Phase III will include structure parking and the eventual buildout of 300 beds.

With future construction on the schedule, phase I had to provide a structure that would cohesively connect to future additions without disrupting hospital operations. This was achieved by separating patient and staff circulation.

“The circulation for the public is along the main lobby,” explains Schulz.

“We’ve provided a separated staff and

PHASE I Two hospital floors housing emergency, imaging, surgery and support services, and four floors of physician office space.

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patient corridor toward the back that will easily link across a green garden space to the phase II bed tower. We also built in small support spaces in phase I, as well as a delivery dock and materials area that will likely be replaced by a larger dock and materials area in the phase II bed tower.”

The site plan comprises aesthetic features that include a courtyard for outdoor dining, a garden space for family gatherings, and general landscaping design to work in artistic tandem with the design of the building’s interior.

DROP-OFF

AN ECONOMIC CORNERSTONE When UF Health originally bought the land upon which the new facility resides, it was largely an undeveloped area set along a marsh wetlands with very little nearby development. Since completion, responsive growth has occurred.

“There has definitely been growth of retail and commercial development around this hospital,” says Thompson.

“That represents a good mixture of community wellness and enhanced medical care, which is what a community needs.”

Providing a solution to the critical healthcare needs of Greater Jacksonville’s fastest-growing area has also had the effect of encouraging job growth. Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown announced at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that not only will UF Health North create 350 new healthcare jobs in the city of Jacksonville, but that Volkswagen of America will be moving into the area providing 100 new jobs, with continuing business expansion likely to add to that tally.

DIVISION VICE PRESIDENT

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SHAPING HEALTHY LIVES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME Addressing the acute need for high-quality healthcare in northern Duval County, UF Health North’s six-story, 200,000-squarefoot ambulatory care center and MOB creates a fresh, positive image, positioning the facility as the region’s first-choice provider for primary and secondary medical services. Recipient of the IIDA North Florida Biennial Design Award in the “Healthcare Large” category, and an Award of Merit from the Jacksonville chapter of the AIA, the state-of-the-art outpatient medical complex represents one of GS&P’s most successful healthcare designs. As Thompson states: “It’s great architecture, first-class interior design, and medically it’s an excellent facility. The community embraces it, the hospital embraces it, and it will only make more sense as the next phase develops.

“We’ve learned that physician recruitment has been robust, even extending beyond the parameters of Florida,” continues Thompson, “and patient census is higher than expected, with projections of greater growth as the area continues to expand. It’s also being viewed by other healthcare systems to see how it functions and operates—so it’s truly a success story.”

Dr. David Guzick, president of UF Health, expressed similar sentiments about UF Health North’s success at the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“One thing that’s been missing from North Jacksonville until now is a comprehensive medical facility that reinvigorates our commitment to hospitality and service—two imperatives to making each patient’s experience the best that it can be. It brings a renewed sense of partnership between our faculty and the community physicians who will share the space, and it provides a crucial bridge to the services of our main campus if those are needed.

“UF Health North is an important foundation for what we know will become a powerful continuum of healthcare for North Jacksonville and beyond,” concludes Guzick. “The real joy comes in opening a new level of care for our community, shaping healthy lives for North Jacksonville and their families for generations to come.”

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TE AM PIC Joseph F. Thompson, aia, leed ap PM Mark C. Meatte, aia, acha, leed ap PP Brian J. Schulz, aia, leed ap PC Ray A.York, Jr. PD Kevin K. S. Kim, aia PD James R. Kolb, aia, leed ap ID Carolyn Fleetwood Blake, iida, edac, leed ap ID Penny J. Houchens, iida, leed ap

Adrienne Ciuba, aia, ncarb Joanna Dickinson Matthew Flores Shawn M. Kelley, aia, ncarb, leed ap Larry D. Leman Jacqueline Maslan, iida, leed ap Ramon A. Cruz Moreno David P. Park, segd LouAnn Skinner Nicole L. Williams, segd

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AUTHORS Sue Halford SENIOR COPYWRITER, GRESHAM, SMITH AND PARTNERS

Lorraine Devon Wilke Heather Ebert

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Annie Huitt Megan Towle

PHOTOGRAPHERS 20|20 Research: New Headquarters Renovation Nicholas McGinn Cancer Specialists of North Florida — Outpatient Cancer Treatment Facility Prototype Sue Root Columbia Power & Water Systems — Service Center Renovation Bob Schatz Crooked Creek Wastewater Reclamation Facility Improvements Scott Wang Lentz Public Health Center Chad Mellon Kerry Woo Lower Roswell Road East: Safety and Operational Improvements Aerial Innovations of Georgia National Planning Corporation New Office Renovation Chad Mellon Norfolk — Comprehensive Airport Improvements Chris Cunningham Novant Health — Haymarket Medical Center Chris Cunningham Sid McDonald Hall — The University of Alabama System Charles Beck UF Health North Ryan Ketterman

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