Founded in 1896 as Tourtellotte and Hummel, Hummel Architects boasts 128 years of extensive design expertise. Our commitment to precision and excellence, established by our founders, remains steadfast.
Over the years, Hummel has forged a strong reputation in designing a variety of facilities, including healthcare, multifamily, educational, university, government, municipal, and corporate buildings. Notably, our portfolio includes the iconic Idaho State Capitol Building, and our ongoing projects continue to contribute to the architectural landscape of communities in Idaho and the northwest region.
As responsible leaders with a focus on the future, our functional and high-performance buildings set the example for operational and technologically advanced construction.
205 N. 10th Street, Suite 300
Boise ID 83702
P (208) 343–7523
482 Constitution Way, Suite 211
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
P (986) 200–6821
www.hummelarch.com
TEAM EXPERIENCE
The Hummel Healthcare Team
LEADERSHIP
ZACH LESTER , AIA, NCARB
PRINCIPAL
HEALTHCARE PLANNER
26 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Healthcare design expert
» Skilled in healthcare programming, planning, life safety, FGI codes
» Excels in finding creative solutions of higher quality and greater value
MANDY BOAM , NCIDQ, AIA
PRINCIPAL
INTERIOR ARCHITECT
18 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Expert in functional space planning and healthcare interior design
» Registered architect and certified interior designer
» Provides high-level leadership for interior design team
» Specialties include community outreach, master planning, programming, space planning adaptive reuse, interior finishes, furniture, and artwork
BRIAN COLEMAN , AIA, NCARB
PRINCIPAL
9 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Skilled in healthcare programming and planning
» Specializes in clinics, central sterile processing, surgery
» Leads and coordinates the work of our internal team and all consultants
» Leads project detailing and quality control of our construction documents
SCOTT STRAUBHAR , AIA, NCARB PARTNER
19 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Oversees Hummel’s healthcare studio
» Assures projects are properly scheduled, adequately staffed and meeting our client’s expectations
» Specializes in healthcare entitlements
» Responsible party for owner/architect agreements
INTERIORS
JENNIFER DUKE-TURNER
INTERIOR
DESIGNER
8 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Leads large-scale healthcare projects
» Focuses on healthcare programming and planning oversight
» Provides interior detailing and related construction drawings and specifications
» Leads material palette selection
» Coordinates branding, furniture, fixtures, appliances, and signage
KRISTEN PATTANI , NCIDQ
INTERIOR DESIGNER
3 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Certified interior designer
» Specialties include clinics, imaging, pre/post PACU, dental
» Coordinates design with healthcare best practices incorporating FGI regulations, infection prevention, material maintenance, and durability considerations
» Leads interior design on projects from schematic design through construction administration
» More than 3 yeas of experience working with large, institutional clients
The Hummel Healthcare Team
PROJECT MANAGERS & JOB CAPTAINS
MEGAN BEDKE , AIA
PROJECT MANAGER
8 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Focuses on clinics, imaging, dental, life safety
» Leads and coordinates the work of our internal team and all consultants
» Manages projects from schematic design through construction administration
LINDSEY EGBERT , AIA
PROJECT MANAGER
7 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Skilled in the design of surgery and pre/post PACU, clinics, imaging
» Leads small-scale healthcare projects
» Supports staff leadership on projects
» Manages document procurement from schematic design through construction documents
RENÉE ARTIS
PROJECT MANAGER
BIM DIRECTOR
9 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Specializes in clinics, imaging, surgery, central sterile processing, physical therapy, outpatient pharmacy
» Provides leadership and BIM management for many of our healthcare projects
» Manager of medical equipment models, plans, and schedules
» Leads and coordinates the work of our internal team and all consultants
JOSH HOFFER
PROJECT MANAGER & IDAHO
FALLS OFFICE LEADER
7 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Leads projects in the Eastern Idaho region
» Focuses on clinics, dental, surgery, central sterile processing, inpatient
» Manages document procurement from schematic design through construction documents
SAMIA AMINA
JOB
CAPTAIN
5 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Skilled in life safety & IBC codes, clinics, imaging, surgery, central sterile processing
» Brings expertise in environmental services, conveying equipment, and supply chain distribution and logistics
» Manages document procurement from schematic design through construction administration
HANNAH BEAUVAIS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
3 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Focuses on pre/post PACU, environmental service, and central sterile processing for large hospitals and clinic spaces
» Produces drawings from schematic design through construction documents
ISSAC PRADO PROJECT COORDINATOR
5 Years of Healthcare Experience
» Manages the construction administration phase of healthcare projects
» Competent with all construction delivery methods, including CM/GC, competitive (hard) bid, CM as advisor, and design/build
» Verifies quality completion and delivery to client
» Well-versed in cloud-based construction software such as Procore and Newforma
+ A DEEP BENCH OF 47 PROFESSIONALS
» 12 Licensed Architects
» 14 Project Managers
» 21 Architectural Designers
» 8 Interior Designers
» 2 Project Coordinators
» 3 Job Captains
» 6 Operations and Administration
» 1 Technology Specialist
Many of our staff work in multiple disciplines
Healthcare Experience
St. Luke’s Health System
Boise Surgery Center Boise, ID
Temporary MRI Boise, ID
Medical O ce Plaza Fruitland, ID
Cardiac Rehabilitation FacilityBoise, ID
Downtown Campus Master Plan Boise, ID
Downtown Medical Center Campus Phase 2 DCIP Boise, ID
Idaho Elks Children’s PavilionBoise, ID
Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Boise, ID
Critical Access Hospital Replacement Facility McCall, ID
Allen Nokes McCall, ID
Ambulance Shelter McCall, ID
South Meridian Medical O ce Building Meridian ID
Park Blvd Medical O ce Building Boise, ID
PET CT Displacement Boise, ID
CTL Displacement Boise, ID
Shipping & Receiving Boise, ID
3TMRI Boise, ID
St. Luke's Magic Valley Regional Medical Center - Twin Falls, ID Shell and Core Architect-of-Record
St. Luke's Magic Valley Regional Medical Center Medical O ce Building - Twin Falls,
St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center - Hailey, ID
PHILOSOPHY OF HEALTHCARE DESIGN
Philosophy of Healthcare Design
Healthcare facilities are the lifeblood of communities. They are instrumental in providing essential medical services and promoting healthy living. Healthcare environments involve sophisticated architecture, complicated engineering systems, complex medical equipment, and a multitude of code requirements, demanding design professionals who have a profound understanding of the intricacies involved in these spaces.
The Hummel healthcare team’s resume runs deep, dating back more than two decades. In the last 10 years alone, we’ve completed over 1.3 million SF of healthcare projects, including hospitals, surgery centers, small clinics, and large medical office buildings in Idaho and the Northwest region. Over the years, our design team has gained significant experience working on a diverse range of projects, from small medical clinics to large hospital campuses. This experience has allowed us to refine the specialized skills and knowledge necessary for the programming, planning, entitlements, and design of medical facilities.
Our design experts are at the forefront of current healthcare design trends and best practices. While each healthcare space necessitates a unique approach, there are certain guiding philosophies our team applies across our projects. We incorporate past project experience with industry trends and best practices, combining this with input from facility users in a collaborative process to produce an integrated, high-value design tailored specifically to the client.
INFECTION AND INJURY PREVENTION
Preventing the spread of infection and risk of injury is paramount in healthcare facilities. The people utilizing these spaces are often vulnerable and at a higher risk of illness or injury. Design considerations for infection and injury prevention include dirty-toclean and clean-to-dirty workflows, air filtration and circulation, and the use of certain infection-resistant materials and finishes throughout the building.
In our design process, we consider the sequential nature of dirty-to-clean and clean-to-dirty flow by incorporating plenty of sterile processing spaces. We also integrate strong air filtration and circulation systems to consistently maintain fresh, clean air throughout the building.
Our interior design team is also proficient with interior design best practices for healthcare environments. Every material and furniture selection they make prioritizes infection and injury prevention. This includes materials that are durable, slip-resistant, and able to withstand harsh cleaning chemicals.
ACCESSIBILITY
A core part of healthcare design is accessibility. Healthcare facilities must be designed to serve everyone, regardless of size, age, or ability. To provide accessibility, comfort, and safety, these buildings must be able to accommodate people with disabilities, as well as bariatric, pediatric, and geriatric populations.
For example, bariatric rooms include features such as wider doors, reinforced furniture, gurneys, lifts, appropriate clearances, and special fixtures. Pediatric rooms are designed to accommodate small-sized patients and their parents or guardians. Features to support people with disabilities include automatic doors, ramps, elevators, handrails, inclusive wayfinding, and wide doorways and hallways. When it comes to interior design, our team puts considerable effort into selecting and arranging furniture in an accessible manner. Furniture configurations must be easily used and adjusted for large families, strollers, wheelchairs, etc.
ADJACENCY AND FLOW
Throughout the healthcare design process, we are particularly mindful of adjacency and flow. Adjacency planning includes departmental adjacency so different departments can easily coordinate patient care, as well as room adjacency to streamline the staff and patient workflow. As an example, operating rooms are adjacent to pre/post-op bays and central sterile processing to promote an efficient surgical experience. It’s also important to minimize the travel distance of staff, patients, and materials to facilitate a smooth and efficient flow throughout the building.
STAFF WELLNESS
Healthcare staff are consistently working long hours and experiencing high-stress situations. To maximize patient outcomes, staff health and wellness must be a priority. This includes considerations such as safe working conditions, privacy, comfortable break areas, and biophilic design principles. The St. Luke’s Center for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine is a premier example of this, as the building includes a top floor dedicated to staff wellness, complete with a mini-market and plenty of comfortable seating. The building is also designed with biophilic elements such as large windows for daylight, greenery, nature-inspired wall art, wood accents, and calming colors.
EQUIPMENT PLANNING
The medical equipment required for healthcare facilities dominates the space program more than any other factor. Across all healthcare projects, we focus on equipment planning at the start of the process to enable adequate space utilization. This powerful equipment requires significant space for advanced electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems, making it a crucial factor in equipment planning.
Leveraging our extensive experience, deep understanding of medical equipment complexities, and space planning knowledge, we design high-performance healthcare spaces that empower medical professionals to provide exceptional patient care.
HOSPITALS
Hospitals
Hospitals play a pivotal role in delivering high-caliber medical care and fostering healthy, thriving communities. Every aspect of hospital design requires meticulous planning, purposeful design decisions, and careful coordination.
Hummel’s healthcare team has significant experience in hospital and critical access hospital design. Whether it’s a small community hospital or an extensive hospital campus, Hummel applies similar principles to design and build facilities of this nature.
OUR CORE GUIDING PHILOSOPHIES FOR HOSPITAL DESIGN INCLUDE:
» Patient-Centered Design & the Occupant’s Journey
» Infection Control & Prevention
» Operational Efficiency & Flexible Spaces
» Medical Equipment Layout
» Life Safety Code Planning & Design
» Hospital Engineering Systems
OUR CORE GUIDING PHILOSOPHIES FOR HOSPITAL DESIGN
01. Patient-Centered Design and the Occupant’s Journey
A hospital’s design should reinforce the idea of patient-centered care. Physical environments can significantly impact the mental and physical state of patients, contributing to their health and healing process. Hummel designs patient-centered spaces that are calming, comforting, accessible, and easy to navigate. Components of patient-centered design include:
» Wayfinding/Navigation: We believe healthcare facilities should be intuitive for patients, providers, staff, and visitors. This includes logical and straightforward layouts, signage, and pathways. Our goal is to create a journey for all occupants that feels natural with minimal confusion and anxiety. Key architectural and interior elements naturally guide patients, staff, and visitors through the facility, alleviating the need for excessive signage, check-in desks, and waiting areas.
» Comforting Environments: We apply a warm design aesthetic that evokes a sense of comfort and healing. This aesthetic is particularly important in waiting rooms and lobbies, which can often be stressful areas for patients and visitors. Features such as expansive views, large windows, calming art, accessible furniture, and comforting material palettes are important in these spaces. We apply similar principles to clinical areas as well to create a soothing and healing environment for patients.
» Safety and Accessibility: To promote a safe and accessible hospital for patients, staff, and visitors, we incorporate features such as wide corridors, handrails, non-slip flooring, and clear signage.
» Staff Health and Wellness: Healthcare staff are consistently working long hours and experiencing high-stress situations. To maximize patient outcomes, staff health and wellness must be a priority. This includes considerations such as safe working conditions, privacy, comfortable break areas, and biophilic design principles such as large windows for daylight, greenery, nature-inspired wall art, wood accents, and calming colors.
02. Infection Control and Prevention
Hospital occupants often have compromised or vulnerable immune systems and are extremely sensitive to infection. Architectural and interior design can play a pivotal role in preventing the spread of infection in hospitals. The primary strategies we utilize for effective infection control and prevention include:
» Optimized Layout: The hospital layout can make a huge difference when it comes to infection prevention. An optimized hospital layout should include outpatient areas that are separate from inpatient zones, clear pathways for patients with contagious diseases, specially designed rooms for patients with airborne illnesses, and high-risk areas, such as operating rooms or intensive care units, that are insulated from general traffic.
» Clean, Durable Materials: The surfaces throughout a hospital must be durable, easy to clean, non-porous, and able to withstand harsh cleaning chemicals. We specify materials and furniture that meet all of these requirements to prevent the spread of pathogens.
» Airflow and Hygiene Practices: To promote proper airflow and filtration, design considerations include the integration of strong air circulation/filtration systems, negative pressure rooms for certain contagious conditions, HEPA filters to trap tiny particles, and regular air exchanges in patient rooms. Central Sterile Processing spaces are incorporated throughout the hospital to control the dirty-to-clean and clean-to-dirty workflows. Hand hygiene facilities are also strategically placed, including handwashing stations and hand sanitizer dispensers.
03. Operational Efficiency and Flexible Spaces
Operational efficiency in healthcare is about delivering optimal patient care with minimal waste, whether in terms of time, resources, or human effort. Adjacency and flow play a vital role in optimizing the efficiency of healthcare spaces. Throughout the healthcare design process, we are particularly mindful of adjacency and flow. Adjacency planning includes departmental adjacency so different departments can easily coordinate patient care, as well as room adjacency to streamline the staff-to-patient workflow. As an example, operating rooms are adjacent to pre/post bays and central sterile processing to promote an efficient surgical experience. It’s also important to minimize the travel distance of staff, patients, and materials to facilitate a smooth and efficient flow throughout the building. Flexibility and adaptability are another component of operational efficiency as healthcare needs continue to evolve. Hospital spaces need to adapt to the changing healthcare needs, technology, and equipment. Rooms must be designed for easy reconfiguration so the facility can quickly adapt without undergoing extensive renovations.
04. Medical Equipment Layout
The medical equipment required for healthcare facilities is significantly influenced by the space planning and engineering systems of a facility. In some of the equipment-heavy departments, the building is almost completely designed around the equipment. Across all healthcare projects, we focus on equipment planning at the start of the process and place those equipment footprints into the plans as early as possible to enable adequate space utilization. Medical equipment typically requires significant electrical, mechanical, and plumbing connections, that are also crucial factors in equipment planning. By utilizing our comprehensive experience, incorporating our knowledge about the complexities of medical equipment, and prioritizing efficient space planning, Hummel designs high-performing healthcare spaces that empower healthcare professionals to provide exceptional care to their patients.
Along with the four primary guiding healthcare design philosophies in hospital design, there are two additional requirements to navigate that come along with the I-2 building code requirements and the more robust engineering systems that serve these facilities.
05. Life Safety Code Planning and Design
Hospitals are designated as an I-2 occupancy type by the International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). Hospitals include additional state licensing and inspections, which are based on the NFPA101 Life Safety Code, as well as the FGI HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
GUIDELINES INSTITUTE CODES. Hummel’s healthcare team is well-versed in the specific healthcare code regulations for hospital facilities. We apply this unique knowledge and engage in careful life safety code planning to make sure hospitals meet all IBC and NFPA regulatory requirements. Life Safety Code planning includes elements such as critical power backup, piped medical gases, emergency preparedness, protect-in-place smoke compartment refuge, restrictive exiting requirements, and fire protection/more robust fire alarm systems.
06. Hospital Engineering Systems
Hospitals involve more sophisticated architecture and robust building systems compared to other occupancy and building types. They are designated essential facilities, which require more significant structural systems, redundant water supplies, and back-up emergency power and fuel sources. Because they need 24/7, 365 operations, the pumps, fans, chillers, boilers, and air handlers are typically replicated for redundancy and for cycling to extend their longevity. Clinical areas within the facility require higher airflow and increased filtration, more critical and significant temperature controls, and humidity controls/monitoring. More robust and redundant engineering systems require increased footprint space in hospital program areas, which must be planned, budgeted, and designed accordingly.
INPATIENT
Inpatient
Inpatient care is imperative for patients experiencing more serious illness or injury, involving hospital stays 24 hours or longer for additional monitoring, treatment, and recovery time. For hospitals and inpatient facilities to provide exceptional care, they need inpatient spaces designed around staff safety and patient wellbeing.
PATIENT ROOMS
A core part of inpatient design is patient rooms. Hummel designs inpatient rooms that are driven by the following:
» Code Compliance: Licensed inpatient rooms must adhere to stringent code requirements to protect patients, staff, and family members/visitors. This involves factors such as room sizes, bed clearances, and accessibility features. Bariatric inpatient rooms are an integral part of the design and include components such as large clearances, special fixtures, and lifts in the ceiling.
» Supporting Infrastructure: The design of inpatient rooms must factor in the considerable technology and infrastructure necessary to support operations. This includes medical equipment, plumbing, headwalls with medical gases, power outlets, emergency power outlets, and nurse call devices.
» Establishing Zones: Inpatient rooms should be adequately zoned to promote efficiency and prevent congestion. The family/visitor zone is placed deep into the room to minimize interference with patient care. The center of the room and the bathroom are patient zones. The area surrounding the patient zone and the front of the room are designed as healthcare provider zones, giving them ample space to efficiently navigate and access the patient and equipment.
» Patient Safety and Wellbeing: Whether patients are admitted to an inpatient room for two days or two months, their safety and comfort are crucial to the healing process. In hospital environments, patient falls most commonly occur during movement from a patient’s bed to the toilet room. To prevent accidents, we design rooms with non-slip surface materials, grab bars, proper lighting, and minimal to nonexistent transitions between rooms. Windows placed at patient height provide natural light and exterior views, helping with the regulation of circadian rhythms. We also focus on the reduction of sounds and harsh lights, to reduce additional patient stress.
PATIENT WINGS
Patient rooms are one piece of the larger patient wing. In addition to the above guiding principles for inpatient rooms, we apply the following strategies when designing patient wings:
» Staff-to-Patient Ratios: Required staff-to-patient ratios for inpatient settings dictate the number of patient rooms and staff areas in an inpatient wing.
» Geometry Exercises: During the design process, we conduct geometry exercises with hospitals to determine an ideal configuration of patient rooms and staff spaces. Current staffing models and patient needs heavily drive this discussion. Configurations which include centralized nursing stations, satellite nursing stations, and touch-down charting stations.
» Flex Wings: Flex wings can be implemented to provide additional space in the case of patient overflow. These areas are especially beneficial in hospital environments when unexpected emergency events occur.
» Room Layouts: Throughout a patient wing, inpatient rooms must be designed with consistency so healthcare providers know exactly where to find what they need. This creates a straightforward and consistent experience as providers quickly move between rooms, helping to reduce the occurrence of human error.
These principles guide our approach to inpatient design. We collaborate with hospitals and inpatient facilities to carefully balance practicality and staff needs with patient comfort and wellbeing, ultimatily improving patient outcomes.
CLINICS/MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDINGS
Clinics/Medical Office Buildings
From family practice and urgent care clinics to dentist’s offices and med-spas, Hummel designs healthcare environments that address all medical facility needs. With every clinic project, we design dynamic and appropriate spaces that successfully provide care for patients and a healthy, vital, and functional work environment for healthcare providers and staff.
Both small healthcare clinics and large medical office buildings (MOBs) provide a variety of vital outpatient healthcare services to communities and often house multiple clinics within a single building or multiple specialties within a single clinic. For example, the Desert Sage Health Clinic in Mountain Home, Idaho contains general practice medical, pharmacy, behavioral health, dentistry, and drive-through clinics within a single facility.
While each clinic is unique in its services and target populations, Hummel applies a similar healthcare design philosophy across all our healthcare clinic projects. Our primary guiding design principles for clinic/MOB projects include:
» Space Allocation: It’s important to differentiate between public, private, and semi-private spaces in a clinic, as well as differentiate between clinical and non-clinical spaces. The design approach will differ for each in terms of look, feel, and materiality.
» On-Stage” vs. “Off-Stage” – One philosophy we’ve successfully applied to our clinic projects is the idea of establishing “on-stage” and “off-stage” areas in clinics. Traditional clinic models typically don’t have a clear separation between the patient and staff areas, which can lead to less privacy and more disruptions for staff. An alternate model is a clear distinction between “on-stage” and “off-stage” areas, such as the dual-access exam room design in which the providers have a private area separate from the patient spaces. This approach can provide more collaboration, fewer interruptions, and more productivity for staff, as well as a more controlled experience for the patients so they don’t’ have to travel through backstage staff-only work areas.
» Staff-to-Patient Ratios – Staff-to-patient ratios are also a main driver behind determining exam room and procedure room counts. The typical rule of thumb is two to four exam rooms per provider, but it will vary depending on the type of medical practice. Procedure rooms are necessary program elements but are infrequently used and can typically be shared.
» Clinical, Patient, and Staff Support Areas – A medical facility’s programmed areas require space allocations that support facility function. Determining these spaces begins with referencing the FGI requirements as the initial basis for programming. For some facilities associated with particular accreditation agencies, these are definite requirements. For other facilities not associated with any agencies, these are simply starting points as best practice recommendations that can be tailored to meet specific facility needs.
» Adjacency and Flow: The layout of a clinic is instrumental to its success. Adjacency and flow apply to multiple components, including the movement of patients, staff, materials, medical equipment, medications, and more. Clinic facilities that provide a space for particular processes to occur mandate that the layout fosters an efficient and lean configuration to increase speed, reduce staffing and redundancy, improve patient outcomes, and enhance staff experience. Strategic adjacency of the lobby/reception, exam rooms, procedure rooms, staff areas, and storage can facilitate a smooth patient and staff workflow. Departmental adjacencies are also important, especially in larger clinics, so different departments can easily collaborate to provide the best care to patients.
» Patient Journey: From arrival through checkout, the patient journey is heavily influenced by the design and layout of the clinic. Maintaining a simple and short pathway between the lobby and exam room is critical for patient accessibility and wellness by reducing the stress of navigating through an obscure maze of hallways. A strategic use of finish materials and landmark elements along the pathway can also improve the patient journey. Patients should experience a logical, seamless sequence as they move through the lobby, exam room, imaging, procedure room, pharmacy, etc.
» Staff Wellness: Evidence demonstrates a built environment can have positive performance impacts on its occupants, which in healthcare translates to healthy medical staff performance and contributes to better patient outcomes. In our healthcare projects, fostering a healthy, positive, and supportive environment for staff is a top priority. We apply wellness best practices to staff spaces in clinics, such as acoustical privacy, views of nature, calming colors, access to natural daylight, and programming in comfortable break areas and respite spaces.
Over the past five years, we’ve completed more than 50 healthcare clinics, making up 472,000 square feet, including 438 total exam rooms.
Examples of our healthcare team’s clinic expertise include:
» Family Medicine
» Dental
» Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy
» Orthopedic
» Urgent Care
» Behavioral Health
» Imaging
» Urology
» Phlebotomy Draw
» Pediatrics
» Outpatient Retail Pharmacy
» Medical Spa
» Rehabilitation
» Drive-Through
INTERIOR DESIGN
Interior Design
Designing interior environments for healthcare settings requires a high level of experience, knowledge, and skill. Medical environments have far more intricacies to consider beyond the standard interior design best practices, as these facilities must accommodate a spectrum of vulnerable populations and complex equipment. From new builds to small retrofits, we understand each healthcare project demands a nuanced approach based on the client’s needs, goals, constraints, demographics, and current processes. Through decades of comprehensive experience, our healthcare interior design team has developed in-depth expertise to create code-compliant interior healthcare environments that improve patient outcomes.
A strategic balance of functionality, aesthetics, and code requirements drives successful interior design in healthcare.
Every finish, material, and furniture selection made must provide value to the user and the owner regarding infection prevention, accessibility, ergonomics, and overall aesthetic.
OUR INTERIOR DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
» Supporting patient healing through patient-centered design.
» Balancing patient/staff comfort with infection and injury prevention.
» Consistently finding opportunities to increase staff safety and wellness.
» Applying our expertise in complex healthcare codes to design code-compliant facilities.
» Meeting the needs of every patient and visitor through accessible materials and furniture.
» Creating an intuitive and holistic wayfinding experience.
» Designing durable interiors that are built to last.
» Implementing facility design standards while incorporating innovation.
PATIENT-CENTERED DESIGN
When a patient steps foot inside a healthcare facility, they are likely to feel some level of uneasiness. Whether someone is attending a routine checkup or undergoing a major operation, their surroundings can have a substantial impact on their mindset. Elements such as color, furniture, signage, and materials can work together to create an intuitive, safe environment that welcomes patients and alleviates their stress in an already distressing situation.
At the start of our interior design process for healthcare, we center our research and client engagement around patient populations. It’s imperative to understand the “who” behind the facility before we design the “what.”
Next, we consider the current needs and processes of the client and customize our approach to address those important pieces.
Patient-centered design is a philosophy we use when making design decisions for healthcare facilities. For example, the colors we choose for finishes can have a profound impact on a patient using the space. We focus on soothing, comforting colors that take cues from local surroundings, so patients feel at ease. Biophilic elements such as natural light, views of nature, proper air circulation, and natural materials create a healing environment and reduce stress for patients when they are often in a state of anxiety.
Proper acoustic design is also important for preserving patient comfort. We deliberately design spaces to limit echoes and reduce noise, such as through soundabsorbing materials and surfaces
The new Desert Sage Health Center in Mountain Home is an excellent example of patient-centered design. The design echoes the surrounding mountains and open plains, connecting occupants with nature through ample natural light and familiar materials such as concrete masonry and warm wood-like accents.
INFECTION AND INJURY PREVENTION
The prevention of infection and injury influences every single material, finish, and furniture selection we make in medical facilities. The populations using these spaces are often vulnerable or carrying infections, making it crucial to minimize hazards and the spread of illnesses.
Examples of this in practice include selecting slip-resistant materials, surface transition details that eliminate seams where infection could get trapped, minimal height difference between floor materials to prevent tripping, and finishes/materials that can be easily cleaned and withstand harsh cleaning chemicals.
STAFF SAFETY AND WELLNESS
Just as patient comfort and safety are a priority in healthcare environments, similar principles apply when designing for staff safety and wellness. Biophilic design elements such as natural light, views of nature, and calming colors can create a more positive, soothing environment for staff. We also integrate staff break areas and lounges throughout to provide respite and help alleviate personnel from caregiver stress. By prioritizing their safety and wellness, staff can more effectively show up for their job, which ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes.
COMPLEX HEALTHCARE CODES
Due to the sensitive, high-risk nature of healthcare environments and patient safety, medical facilities must adhere to Life Safety Code and FGI regulations defined by state jurisdictions, CMS Federal Requirements, and/or various accrediting agencies associated with their individual healthcare systems.
Our design team is fluent in the code knowledge required to design and build safe, secure, and durable healthcare interior environments.
ACCESSIBILITY
Healthcare facilities serve anyone seeking medical care, meaning they must be equipped to accommodate people of all ages, sizes, and abilities. This includes bariatric, geriatric, pediatric, and infant populations. Accessibility is an essential consideration throughout the entire interior design process and can be seen through features such as universal application furniture with adjustable height/width and modular furniture configurations that can be easily rearranged. Casework is designed to meet ADA requirements, including the height of countertops to sloped sink approaches. Accessibility is also crucial for wayfinding and signage, ensuring that people of all abilities and languages can find their desired destination with minimal confusion or difficulty.
WAYFINDING
The patient and visitor journey from entering to exiting a healthcare facility can sometimes be stressful, confusing, and disorienting. This is especially true in large hospitals with multiple levels and specialties.
Our interior design team takes a holistic approach to wayfinding in healthcare facilities by focusing on more than just the signage throughout the building. While signage is important for navigation, we have also found visual cues to be very beneficial to patients, visitors, and even staff.
For example, in our design for the new St. Luke’s North Tower, we thoughtfully designed a specific floor pattern and ceiling element that help guide occupants through the space. We also incorporated various “landmarks” such as feature walls and lighted columns that can be used when describing wayfinding to visitors. Finding opportunities to design for natural wayfinding elements supports a more intuitive, inclusive, and seamless experience for those navigating complex medical environments.
BRANDED ENVIRONMENTS
Our team understands the importance of creating healthcare environments that effectively convey a client’s brand, mission, and values. Branded environments go beyond the simple use of brand colors and logos. A client’s brand can be communicated in a variety of creative ways, such as through architectural elements, textures, visual cues, spatial layouts, and curated experiences. These elements often serve a dual purpose by supporting wayfinding.
We are adept at working with clients to implement their design and brand standards through the selection of finishes, materials, lighting, furniture, and signage.
DURABILITY AND MAINTENANCE
We care about the long-term success of our clients and want their facilities to be resilient for decades to come. The materials we select are durable and require minimal maintenance over time. For example, we select heavy-duty wall materials and protection that can withstand damage from the movement of beds and large equipment. Furniture is chosen from commercial manufacturers who conduct rigorous testing on their pieces, resulting in excellent warranties. The decision is easy for clients when comparing the benefits of warrantied furniture, which offers greater longevity, against the appeal of cheaper online alternatives.
We also consult client maintenance teams to better understand how the materials we specify perform after substantial completion, and how certain products are a challenge to stock, replace, fix, renew, etc. We want the life of the building to extend far beyond the timeframe we are handling the design.
FACILITY DESIGN STANDARDS AND INNOVATION
As a team, we are always looking for better ways to serve our clients and stay up to date with the latest materials, furniture, construction, and industry trends. We frequently host manufacturer reps, maintaining positive relationships and open lines of communication with them. We also attend conferences specific to healthcare design that offer continuing education credits.
We have been fortunate to be invited by some reps to visit installations across the country and observe manufacturing methods at healthcare furniture plants and facilities, enabling us to confidently specify their products.
LIFE SAFETY PLANS/FGI/ NFPA CODE PLANNING
Life Safety Plans/FGI/ NFPA Code Planning
As architects, we are fluent in the code knowledge required to design and build safe, secure, and durable facilities. When it comes to healthcare buildings, there are many additional factors to consider beyond the traditional requirements outlined in the International Building Code.
Due to the sensitive, high-risk nature of healthcare environments and patient safety, medical facilities must also adhere to Life Safety Code and FGI regulations defined by state jurisdictions, CMS Federal Requirements, and/or various accrediting agencies associated with their individual healthcare systems.
Hospitals, surgery centers, skilled nursing facilities, and other classifications of healthcare facilities are required by the state jurisdictions and accrediting agencies to comply with the Life Safety and FGI Codes. Hummel provides comprehensive healthcare code planning to help facilities protect human life, adhere to established protocols, protect against liability, maintain a safe property, create long-term building resilience, and incorporate the numerous applicable codes.
Life safety plans are required for periodic inspections by states, CMS, and various accrediting agencies. In addition to providing full code plans on new and renovation builds, Hummel provides maintenance updates and evaluations of existing life safety plans. Hummel’s code plans for medical facilities include documentation of both traditional IBC code information and applicable NFPA volumes.
Hummel’s healthcare team brings specialized knowledge in Life Safety Code Planning to assist medical facilities in navigating the complexities of healthcare building code regulations. With our experience and understanding of various healthcare codes, we can translate this knowledge into accurate, compliant designs. This healthcare code expertise allows us to increase efficiency, save costs, reduce errors, and create a higher-quality product throughout the design process.
Our team has helped multiple healthcare organizations create comprehensive life safety drawings, obtain and maintain licensing, and consistently pass inspections.
KEY ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE SAFETY CODE PLANNING
» Hospital suite organization and the limiting rated corridor partitions, door openings, and HVAC dampening
» Occupancy classification
» Critical power/backup power
» Exiting requirements
» Smoke compartment and ‘protect in place’ refuge calculations
» Emergency planning/preparedness
» Special hazards/incidental use fire barrier locations
» Piped medical gas, including manifolded bottle and bulk tanks
SURGERY/PRE-POST OP/
CENTRAL STERILE PROCESSING
Surgery/Pre-Post Op/ Central Sterile Processing
Efficient surgery centers are vital to treating medical conditions, improving quality of life, preventing future health problems, and saving lives. To conduct successful and safe surgeries, healthcare professionals need surgical environments designed for cleanliness, functionality, and flexibility.
At Hummel, we specialize in designing dynamic surgical facilities for hospitals and outpatient surgery centers that are sensitive to the needs of medical professionals and patients alike. Our healthcare design experts have over two decades of experience crafting all types of surgical departments, including pre/post-op, PACU bays, operating rooms, endoscopy procedure rooms, and central sterile processing areas.
Creating modern surgical environments requires in-depth knowledge of the advanced medical equipment involved. From standard procedures like appendectomies to more complicated operations like an organ transplant, surgery centers must be equipped to support an array of needs.
OUR EXTENSIVE SURGERY DEPARTMENT DESIGN EXPERIENCE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS INCLUDES:
» 178 Pre/Post PACU Bays
» 53 Operating Rooms
» 25,020 SF of Central Sterile Processing space
The experience before and after surgery is a crucial element of surgery center design. With 178 pre/post PACU bays in our portfolio, Hummel’s team is adept in designing pre/postoperative areas that facilitate efficient procedure preparation, continuous patient monitoring, and optimal patient recovery. We’ve also designed more than 53 post-anesthesia critical care units (PACUs), which require additional design considerations for patient safety, including provisions for more medical devices, additional head wall outlets, increased clearance, and enhanced visibility of patients.
The layout of a pre/post-op department should provide optimal adjacencies and flow of patients, materials, and staff to minimize footsteps and provide for a lean functioning facility. The layout should also be optimized for infection prevention, security, and traffic control of patients, visitors, and staff.
OPERATING ROOMS
All surgery department projects consist of complex equipment planning, especially when it comes to operating rooms (ORs). Surgical procedures of any kind are often fast-paced and complicated, requiring an OR layout that is efficient and adaptable for a variety of procedures. When designing ORs, ceiling-mounted booms are used for equipment, anesthesia, and power gas/data outlets to keep equipment off the floor, increasing accessibility to medical instruments and reducing obstacles during the surgical process. Additionally, wall-mounted monitors, gas/electrical/data outlets, and other medical accessories and supplies are strategically placed on each wall in the room to provide easy access, maintain patient safety, and optimize the overall surgery experience.
To implement infection control, we also judiciously select certain materials, finishes, and surface transition details that can be easily disinfected in operating rooms. Limiting flooring to wall, wall to millwork and ceiling seams is critical to eliminating potential locations where infectious materials could build up. Durability and protection of floor, walls, and millwork surfaces are critical to preventing potential damage to surfaces that would be difficult to keep sterile. For some OR projects, we include an above-ceiling plenum diffuser in the operating room design. This special system is a manifold located above the OR ceiling, designed to suspend equipment and light booms, provide HVAC diffusers with ideal laminar airflow, and house ceiling lighting, while minimizing the traditional above-ceiling MEP in the space above the OR’s hard ceiling.
WE HAVE DESIGNED VARIOUS TYPES OF OPERATING ROOMS, INCLUDING:
» General Surgery Operating Rooms
» Orthopedic Operating Rooms
» Endoscopy Suites
» Obstetric and Cesarean Operating Rooms
» Hybrid Cardiovascular Operating Rooms
CENTRAL STERILE PROCESSING
Fundamental to preventing the spread of infection is the central sterile processing area that supports surgery departments and instrument processing for other clinic and hospital departments. These spaces must be designed to promote clean and productive workflows as medical instruments are cleaned, disinfected, and sterilized for future use.
The three primary spaces in a successful central sterile processing area are decontamination, preparation/packaging, and sterilization. These three spaces must be designed to integrate seamlessly while preventing contamination and maintaining a consistent clean-to-dirty and dirty-to-clean workflow.
By leveraging our equipment planning experience, implementing healthcare guidelines, and following best practices for infection prevention, Hummel designs central sterile processing spaces that are effective, clean, and durable.
MEDICAL IMAGING
Medical Imaging
Medical imaging is an essential part of a healthcare provider’s ability to diagnose, treat, and monitor their patients. As medical technology continues to change, hospitals and clinics need to continually modernize and update imaging spaces so medical professionals can provide exceptional healthcare to patients, recruit top talent, and distinguish themselves from competitors.
Hummel specializes in designing complex imaging spaces that enable hospitals and clinics to analyze, diagnose, and treat medical conditions with ease. our depth of imaging design experience encompasses a wide range of modalities.
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE’VE COMPLETED:
» 6 MRI spaces (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
» 3 Fluroscopy spaces
» 19 X-ray spaces
» 7 CT spaces (Computed Tomography)
» 2 Mammography spaces
» 3 Biplanar X-ray spaces
» 2 DEXA scan spaces
» 1 Stand-Up CT space
This breadth of direct experience in creating and renovating imaging spaces for healthcare institutions has made our team skilled in efficient space planning and programming for a variety of modalities. Each modality is distinctive in its purpose and requirements, demanding a unique strategy and approach for each one.
For example, because MRIs require special shielding and security separations to protect healthcare workers and patients, the security for MRIs requires zones 1-5 as a precautionary method of restricting individuals from the magnetic field. MRIs sometimes include magnetic shielding when the magnetic field extends beyond the controlled area where unsupervised personnel travel and/or moving metals are present. Additionally, all MRIs include radio frequency shielding of the exam room that must be accounted for in the layout, as well as the room’s envelope and associated mechanical and electrical installation.
In our approach to MRI design, we are careful to consider magnetic field shielding, radio frequency shielding, safety features, and zoning. Our designs often include steel wall reinforcements, copper enclosures, and special venting in the event the magnet purges its supercooled liquid helium.
Over the past five years, we’ve designed more than 50 imaging rooms. With 4 medical imaging design experts on staff, our team is well-versed in the specific knowledge required to design high-quality imaging departments.
Since imaging technology is rapidly changing, hospitals and clinics must be agile and stay on top of the latest advancements. Hummel’s healthcare design experts plan these spaces for easy removal and re-installation of MRI equipment. As an example, when we worked on the MRI and CT rooms in the St. Luke’s McCall Hospital, part of the design included a large opening in the wall that could be used for future removal and re-installation of the equipment. This included thoughtful phasing and setting up temporary utilities and medical equipment to prevent disruptions to patient care, as well as carefully planning the MRI and CT equipment changeover with temporary mobile units to minimize disruption to hospital operations. Designing spaces for this imaging technology demands meticulous planning and a thorough understanding of the advanced equipment involved. When it comes to imaging, we know the importance of designing the architecture and engineering systems around the equipment. It’s crucial to understand the technical aspects of medical imaging spaces, including the equipment, mechanical, electrical, structural, and other infrastructure components. For example, the shielding and power requirements are a substantial factor in the design. Overlooking components in the design can lead to significant change order costs because the preliminary equipment cut sheets did not include all the site-specific connections.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS
Emergency Departments
Healthcare emergencies are an inevitable part of life and can range from an unexpected cut that requires stitches to a life-threatening event. Hospital emergency departments must be responsive, agile, and well-equipped to provide immediate access to medical care, no matter the severity of the illness or injury.
To provide effective access to care, an emergency department (ED) must be thoughtfully planned and configured so medical providers can adapt and react swiftly to healthcare emergencies 24/7, whether fully staffed or during swing shifts with only a skeleton staff. Hummel’s healthcare design team has considerable experience designing emergency departments that are safe, efficient, accessible, and dynamic.
In our approach to these spaces, the layout is designed to facilitate a logical flow of emergency room patients from arriving at the hospital through the triage and treatment process. In the design of emergency units, the department adjacency and flow to other departments, as well as the internal flow within the department, are heavily considered. Primary areas and departments relevant to an emergency unit layout include the ambulance entry, the ED and/or main hospital lobbies, and the radiology department. These adjacencies are imperative both in large urban hospitals, as well as in small rural critical access facilities. In small critical access facilities, these adjacencies become even more crucial due to the limited staff who are required to monitor and manage multiple areas and multiple patients at the same time.
Each area within an ED is intentionally programmed into the department to serve a specific purpose, with some of those including check-in, bariatric rooms, secure rooms, decontamination rooms, and isolation rooms, as well as clean supply, med room, and patient and staff toilets. The types and quantities of rooms and spaces within the department are determined by what is functionally necessary and what is required by the facility’s guideline “FGI” code.
CHECK-IN
The check-in area of an emergency department must be efficient and straightforward. Separate entrances for ambulance patients and walk-in patients must be managed by ED admitting staff during normal hours, as well as by the ED nursing staff during nighttime hours when the admitting station is not always staffed. Emergency check-in spaces include large windows and minimal view obstructions to establish sight lines of all entrances, waiting areas, and parking lots. When windows with direct sight lines are not possible from either ED check-in or ED nurses’ stations, then cameras and monitors at the nursing stations are used to provide full viewing coverage.
TRAUMA BAYS
Trauma bays are a core part of any emergency department, providing a place for patients with serious injuries or conditions to receive immediate treatment. Designated trauma bays are larger than typical ED bays, include more equipment, have additional headwall outlets, and require adequate space for a larger number of staff to work within the space. We design trauma bays with efficiency and adaptability in mind, enabling staff to rapidly provide the necessary care. Typically, all ED bays are arranged to encircle the nurses’ station in a panopticon configuration to allow direct observation from the nursing station into each bay or room. Designated trauma bays are also placed adjacent to each other with openings in between to minimize footsteps and save critical time, allowing medical staff to treat multiple patients at once without having to travel into the corridor. Trauma bays are also designed to support a robust amount of medical equipment and supplies.
SECURE-HOLD ROOMS
Secure-hold rooms in an emergency department are specially designed for patients who are at risk of harming themselves or others. These rooms contain increased security measures, such as door windows that are laminated and shatterproof, non-ligature type fixtures and cabinetry, roll-down doors to secure cabinetry and supplies, and headwall medical gas and other outlets.
SCAN OR CLICK THESE QR CODES FOR PANORAMIC RENDERINGS OF THE MCCALL HOSPITAL
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
TRAUMA BAY SKETCH
STAFF SECURITY AND SAFETY
Staff security and patient safety in an ED unit are central to our considerations when designing ED layouts. Protecting staff from harm, allowing them to lock down units, and providing elements such as internal alternate exit routes from rooms and spaces are best practices in ED design. Additional safeguards we implement include designing support spaces within the department that can double as staff safe rooms, equipped with hardwired panic buttons and telephones.
DECONTAMINATION ROOMS
Decontamination rooms are required in an ED to treat individuals who experience any level of contamination from toxic chemicals, biological toxins, and other contaminants. These rooms are designed with interior and exterior doors to allow direct entry from outside the building and prevent unwanted crosscontamination. Decon rooms are typically finished similar to a walk-in shower room with washable and drainable surfaces. These rooms are equipped with full emergency showers, eye wash stations, and specific drainage in the floor that empties into an exterior underground decontamination tank. This tank can then be pumped into a truck and disposed of elsewhere, according to health and environmental requirements. To protect other patients and staff, these rooms are also negatively pressurized and fully exhausted to isolate any potential airborne contaminants from contaminating adjacent spaces.
AIRBORNE INFECTION ISOLATION ROOMS
Patients with airborne illnesses, such as tuberculosis, require their own isolation room in an emergency department to protect other patients from infection. These rooms are designed to be negatively pressurized and fully exhausted with special HVAC systems and air filtration systems, as required by FGI and ASHRAE requirements. These rooms have associated ante rooms for staff to enter and exit from when a contagious patient is present. Ante rooms are utilized for staff to wear the correct PPE attire, provide handwashing, and further protect adjacent areas by functioning as an airlock for staff to pass through.
Physical therapy and rehabilitation are crucial services that enable neuromuscular healing, injury and/or surgery recovery, and prevention of long-term health challenges. Physical therapy services are a huge asset to hospitals and clinics by promoting prevention and healing, thus improving short-term and long-term patient outcomes.
The success of someone’s physical rehabilitation journey is heavily influenced by their environment during the recovery process.
Hummel’s healthcare design team specializes in designing rehabilitation facilities that optimize the healing process, support customized treatment plans, and enhance the overall recovery experience for patients and providers.
HUMMEL’S EXPERIENCE IN REHABILITATION AND PHYSICAL THERAPY DESIGN INCLUDES A VAST ARRAY OF FACILITY TYPES, INCLUDING:
» Basic Rehabilitation Clinics
» Sports Rehabilitation Facilities
» Occupational Therapy Suites
Each type of rehabilitation facility serves its own purpose and clientele, requiring a unique approach for each project. For example, the St. Luke’s Center for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine is a premier, high-performance rehabilitation facility that accommodates everything from preventative physical therapy services to professional athletes looking to optimize their physical performance. The design for this facility has a stronger focus on performance enhancement and sports medicine with an athletic facility feel. Conversely, we designed a small-scale rehab gym in the St. Luke’s South Meridian Medical Office Building that is tailored to basic physical therapy services for families.
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OUR HEALTHCARE DESIGN TEAM EMPLOYS TO GUIDE EACH REHABILITATION FACILITY
» Functionality and Versatility: For facilities to cater to a variety of rehabilitation methods and techniques, it’s important to craft a space that is both functional and versatile. Ample room for a range of equipment and durable, shock-absorbent sports flooring are examples of necessary elements we incorporate into our rehab design. Adjacency to other healthcare services is also important to promote collaboration between physicians, physical therapists, and other providers for treatment plans.
» Wellness and Aesthetics: The rehabilitation process can feel difficult, frustrating, and slow. Establishing a therapeutic atmosphere that is both positive and stimulating can make a huge difference in someone’s overall recovery experience. Elements such as calming colors and materials, significant daylight exposure, views of nature, and engaging visuals are incorporated throughout Hummel’s rehabilitation designs.
» Infection Prevention: Although these spaces differ from more clinical, high-risk medical environments, it’s still crucial to maintain healthcare hygiene standards. For example, surfaces that can be easily disinfected, sports flooring that is less porous, and robust air circulation systems are important features of our rehab designs.
PHLEBOTOMY/MEDICAL LABORATORIES
Phlebotomy/Infusion/ Medical Laboratories
Diagnostic and blood draw laboratories are critical when it comes to measuring patient health markers and diagnosing medical conditions. Hospitals and clinics rely on phlebotomy clinics and labs to provide the best care to their patients, allowing them to collect blood and urine for analyzing tissue, urine, and fecal specimens. To perform their best work, phlebotomists, medical lab technologists, and other healthcare professionals require a clean, functional, and efficiently configured environment to accommodate the necessary analyzers, microscopes, centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers.
Hummel designs medical lab spaces that prioritize adjacency, flow, and cleanliness to prevent errors and optimize laboratory procedures, data collection, and documentation. Over the past five years, we’ve designed more than 6,625 square feet of phlebotomy and medical lab spaces.
WE HAVE DESIGNED VARIOUS TYPES OF MEDICAL LAB SPACES, INCLUDING:
There are multiple factors to consider in phlebotomy and medical laboratory design. The most necessary factors we’ve found include:
» Streamlined Layout: The rapid rate of samples moving through these areas can lead to accidental errors or confusion. This warrants a simple and efficient layout to support a consistent, reliable workflow for patients and medical professionals throughout the day.
» Infection Control and Contamination Prevention: Due to the high volume of samples containing bodily fluids, controlling the risk of infection transmission is particularly important in phlebotomy and medical lab environments. Our medical lab spaces are designed with detail to accommodate lab equipment and laboratory work supplies.
» Accessibility: All types of patients should be able to access phlebotomy and lab spaces in hospitals and clinics. Our medical lab spaces are designed to accommodate patients of all sizes, ages, and abilities, including wheelchair users, bariatric patients, geriatric patients, pediatrics, and infants.
A prime example of our lab design is the lab and phlebotomy department in St. Luke’s McCall Hospital. We designed these diagnostic and draw laboratories with functionality in mind, allowing hospital personnel to efficiently adapt to the high churn rate typical in these spaces while maintaining optimal staff counts.
PHARMACY
Pharmacy
We design pharmacies that enable healthcare professionals to reliably and safely provide medications that help patients recover, heal, and manage health conditions.
Whether it’s a robust inpatient pharmacy within a hospital or a small outpatient retail pharmacy, we apply the following design features to create high-quality pharmaceutical spaces:
» Hood Compounding Cleanrooms: Hood compounding cleanrooms contain sophisticated equipment for pharmacists to prepare safe, quality compounding medications for patients. We design cleanrooms to prevent contamination through protective hoods, complex mechanical systems, special surfaces, and proper ventilation. We understand the code requirements when designing these cleanrooms to keep medications safe and sterile.
» United States Pharmacopeia Regulations: Following specific codes and requirements from the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is critical to adequately protect healthcare workers and patients.
» Storage Solutions: In a pharmacy, every square foot matters. Pharmacies must minimize their footprint, especially within a hospital, while providing ample storage for a variety of medications and products. We design pharmacies with innovative storage solutions, such as mechanized carousels and dense shelving to support a high-density system that maximizes capacity within a space.
» Automation: To facilitate efficient processes in a pharmacy, we apply automation in certain pharmacy designs. Special technology and automated systems help speed up the process of filling prescriptions. For example, automatic vial dispensers can be implemented to fill and label pill bottles, freeing up time for pharmacists to focus on other important tasks.
» Infection Prevention: Pharmacies must emphasize flow, adjacency, and flexibility to prevent the spread of infections. We always incorporate infection-resistant surfaces throughout the pharmacy.
INPATIENT PHARMACIES
Typically found within hospital environments, inpatient pharmacies are heavily relied on to provide patients with the necessary medications they need for successful treatment or recovery.
For example, inpatient pharmacies play an essential role in oncology departments by providing vital chemotherapy drugs to patients. The medicines used for oncology patients are particularly delicate with short expiration timelines, requiring special equipment and procedures to prepare and administer.
OUTPATIENT PHARMACIES
Outpatient pharmacies offer an accessible, convenient option for patients to obtain prescriptions and other medical goods outside the hospital environment.
Some hospitals and medical facilities choose to include an outpatient retail pharmacy within their own facility. This service creates additional convenience for patients by eliminating additional stops once they leave the facility. For example, St. Luke’s Health System integrated an outpatient retail pharmacy within their new Center for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. Patients can obtain their prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and durable medical goods without leaving the facility, which reduces stress and improves patient outcomes.
Drive-through pharmacies can also provide additional convenience to patients, such as the one we designed for Desert Sage Health Center in Mountain Home, Idaho. Patients can drive up to a window, speak with a pharmacist, obtain their prescriptions, and leave the facility without stepping foot outside their vehicle.
MEDICAL PLANNING
Medical Planning
The process of designing and building a healthcare facility takes immense thought and skill, requiring a deep understanding of medical planning best practices, building and healthcare codes, and engineering principles.
Medical planning is the first and most valuable step in designing any healthcare facility. Our team of healthcare planners has successfully completed dozens of medical plans, ranging from small clinics to expansive hospital campuses.
While each healthcare project is unique, we apply a similar medical planning and programming process that prioritizes stakeholder input, space needs, and budget. This thorough medical planning process has proven to be successful throughout our experience working with healthcare clients.
GATHERING STAKEHOLDER INPUT
Every medical programming process starts with gathering information from critical project stakeholders. This input sets the stage for how the project will take shape, as we analyze the needs and goals of everyone involved.
Stakeholders typically involved in this process include:
» Hospital leadership
» Hospital administration
» Department leadership
» Department staff
» Facilities teams
» Accreditation teams
» Infection prevention team
» Architecture/planning team
For example, in the medical planning stage of the new St. Luke’s McCall Hospital Expansion, we met with 20 different user groups across departments to gain a holistic understanding of their needs and expectations.
SPACE NEEDS
Based on the information gathered, we begin to develop a spreadsheet of spaces that addresses the needs of all departments, consisting of the following:
» Room Uses and Sizes: Hospitals contain multiple departments that serve a variety of patient needs. Based on stakeholder input, we identify initial room uses and sizes within each department, including rooms for patients, staff, materials management, storage, and administration.
» Medical Equipment Requirements: Equipment-heavy departments like imaging and surgery play a significant role in the space program. The equipment alone requires substantial real estate, making it important to place them early in the programming process.
» Infrastructure Space Program: In this spreadsheet, we incorporate a list of the necessary support spaces, such as electrical penthouses, utility closets, boilers, air handler generators, shafts for pipes, etc. Considering nearly 60% of the space program is needed for supporting infrastructure, we begin these discussions early in the process.
» Grossing Factors: Beyond the room, equipment, and infrastructure space needs, we also consider grossing factors that can often be overlooked. Areas surrounding these spaces, such as circulation, hallways, stairways, and wall thickness can heavily impact square footage.
Establishing initial estimates for these spaces early in the programming process is vital for preventing scope creep and unexpected budget increases. Once this comprehensive spreadsheet is developed, we review the initial program through multiple meetings with the client to clarify room uses and any special attributes.
ADJACENCY AND FLOW
Next, we transition to gameboard exercises to provide a more visual experience for the clients. The primary goal of these workshops is to determine departmental adjacencies. In this step, we facilitate important discussions around the relationships between departments that focus on flow and adjacency. For example, the imaging department must be adjacent to emergency departments to support quick emergency response and medical diagnoses.
The gameboard will then translate into bubble diagrams as we further solidify an initial floor plan, continuing to emphasize adjacency and flow. From this diagram, components such as walls, doors, and equipment footprints begin to take shape.
As a floor plan becomes more concrete, we continue looking for opportunities to minimize footsteps for patients and staff, maintain a straightforward wayfinding experience, and create an overall lean design that optimizes the client’s budget.
ENTITLEMENTS
Entitlements
Every development, including healthcare facilities, requires a team of experienced professionals to investigate, engage, guide, and collaborate with the owner and public entities to secure thorough and complete project entitlements. Our leadership group, along with their supporting project managers and architectural designers, have the capabilities to attain public body agreements including:
» Planning and zoning certificates
» Variances
» Design review approvals
» Construction permits
» Final building occupancies
We engage local civil engineers, landscape architects, and planners who are equally adept at the entitlement procedures required by the cities and counties of southern Idaho. When necessary, we often work with outside legal counsel and subject matter experts to thoughtfully navigate public statutes, codes, and divergent public sentiment. All of our partners and principals have represented clients at public workshops, neighborhood meetings, and hearings and are skilled at jurisdictional online applications and supplemental form work, letters of explanation, and project exhibits.
Downtown Capital Improvement Plan
In Association with Arch Nexus
The Hummel and Arch Nexus team is facilitating a 20-year master plan for St. Luke’s Health System on their 9-block Downtown Boise campus, helping to expand their footprint and better meet the healthcare needs of the Treasure Valley community. This Downtown Capital Improvement Plan (DCIP) consists of two phases, with the first phase completed and the second phase in progress.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Pharmacy
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Emergency Department
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Rehabilitation
✓ Surgery
✓ Inpatient
The extensive process for this phased project includes fundraising support, public/administrative presentations, entitlements, design and bid documents, negotiation of public street vacation and air rights, and careful planning of site, systems, and construction phasing.
Hummel and the team have worked diligently to keep both phases of this project on schedule and within budget without compromising quality. We’ve successfully collaborated with the projects’ CM/GC to make value-based design decisions and maintain a budget and schedule that continues to align with the client’s goals.
Phase 1
The first phase of this plan included the relocation and expansion of the campus’s central plant building with an attached shipping and receiving building, as well as the addition of a new 1,124-stall parking garage.
The
new central plant building services
the entire Downtown St. Luke’s Campus
This includes a future Medical Office Building and North Bed Tower (phase 2). Functional and support spaces include offices, shops, numerous mechanical and electrical rooms, emergency power electrical rooms, boiler and chiller rooms, fire riser rooms, mail service, bed storage, lockers, and restrooms, along with one freight and three passenger elevators. Powering the entire St. Luke’s Downtown Campus, the building features robust infrastructure equipment to support the hospital’s large-scale operations.
The new eight-story parking garage contains two tiers below grade and six tiers above grade with a parking capacity of 1,124 stalls. Each parking deck is about 50,000 SF equaling a building size of 405,000 SF. Hummel designed several concepts to meet the City of Boise’s design standards for parking garages. After multiple collaborative meetings with City officials and St. Luke’s, the final design and material selections were made to meet the goals of everyone involved.
The garage is accessible for vehicles from both First and Second Streets, increasing parking availability for St. Luke’s staff and patients.
The design approach to this project focused on its identity as the “heart” of St. Luke’s campus. Large windows in key mechanical spaces aim to showcase the complex inner workings of the building. This “heart concept” also influenced the brick design, with custom bricks in the St. Luke’s blend that create the undulating brick pattern on the facades.
The heart concept is evident in both the Central Plant and Shipping and Receiving, as both these buildings serve as the center of St. Luke’s Campus. The Central Plant provides heating and cooling for the entire St. Luke’s Campus, and Shipping and Receiving houses, receives, and distributes goods for the whole campus. The new parking garage is a huge asset to St. Luke’s patients, providing convenient parking right next to the hospital and expanding access for future phases.
All three projects enable the next phase of construction for a nine-story north tower and seven-story MOB, allowing St. Luke’s to better support the growing needs of the Treasure Valley.
Phase 2
The second phase involves the addition of a nine-story north tower and a seven-story medical office building. This addition will include more than 200 inpatient beds, inpatient and outpatient surgery expansion, emergency room relocation, additional clinic space, renovation and re-tasking of existing beds, and relocation of ancillary support and imaging.
This project is one of the first in the City of Boise to implement the Boise Green sustainability initiative. Boise Green is an initiative aimed at reducing the impact made by construction focusing on both raw material sourcing and the site of the project.
Center for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 230,000 SF
The new St. Luke’s Center for Orthopedic and Sports Medicine (COSM) is designed as a “onestop shop” for all orthopedic needs, complete with a fully-equipped rehabilitation gym and an all-inclusive surgery center. The 230,000 SF building addresses the increasing demand for medical care as the Treasure Valley continues to grow. By bringing comprehensive orthopedic services under one roof, healthcare providers can seamlessly coordinate care for patients.
COSM is composed of two wings, with one housing the Surgery Center and another serving as a Medical Office Building. The facility is accompanied by a separate five-story parking garage structure.
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Surgery
✓ Rehabilitation
The surgery side of the building is three stories, providing outpatient specialty surgeries and care. Major departments include Medical Imaging, Administration Suite, Lab, Surgery, Sterile Processing, Pre-Op/Post-Op, and an Outpatient Pharmacy. The Medical Office Building side of the facility is a fourstory outpatient area housing three stories of clinics and one story of staff offices, staff work areas, and conference rooms. Other areas include seven separate clinic suites and one sports medicine therapy suite with an exterior exercise yard.
Campus improvements include on-grade parking, patient drop-off/pick-up areas, drop-off entry canopies, an outdoor rehab therapy yard, multiple bicycle racks, a screened receiving lot and entrance, and a screened utility and trash yard.
Desert Sage Health Center
LOCATION: MOUNTAIN HOME, ID SQUARE FOOTAGE: 31,675 SF
Nestled amidst Mountain Home’s rural landscape, the new Desert Sage Health Center supports an underserved community by providing essential medical services under one roof. This comprehensive healthcare hub houses a pharmacy, medical clinics, behavioral health resources, dentistry services, administrative spaces, and Idaho’s first permanent drivethrough clinic.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Pharmacy
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Emergency Department
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Rehabilitation
✓ Surgery
✓ Inpatient
The facility creates healing environments that connect occupants with nature, fostering a sense of relief and comfort by incorporating familiar materials from the surrounding scenery and ample natural light into patient and staff areas.
Inspired by local scenery, Hummel’s design echoes the surrounding mountains and open plains. Familiar materials such as concrete masonry and warm wood accents add a touch of comfort and familiarity for patients. Instead of a sterile environment, the design establishes a safe, home-like feeling. Since the site location isn’t particularly prominent, a large, central lantern element was incorporated into the lobby and glass walls allow this lantern to glow. This supports wayfinding and helps to define the entry space.
The drive-through health clinic is an innovative response to the need for more accessible, efficient medical care in Mountain Home. By providing a spectrum of healthcare services in a convenient location, Desert Sage empowers a healthier Mountain Home community to thrive for decades to come.
McCall Hospital Expansion
LOCATION: MCCALL, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 70,534 SF
(55,193 SF ADDITION AND 15,341 SF REMODEL)
Hummel is working with St. Luke’s Health System to substantially expand and renovate their hospital nestled in the mountainous environment of McCall, Idaho. This project is being built over several years through four separate bid packages across four major construction phases. The three-story hospital addition is now complete, and work has begun on the renovation portion of the project.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Hospitals
✓ Clinics
✓ Pharmacy
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Emergency Department
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Rehabilitation
✓ Surgery
✓ Inpatient
The significant expansion provides enhanced facilities, so St. Luke’s is better equipped to meet the medical needs of McCall’s growing community. The new facility features advanced healthcare technology and spaces, including a 24-hour emergency department, new triage area, modern exam rooms and trauma bays, comprehensive surgical services, upgraded labs, medical imaging, labor and delivery rooms, and waiting areas.
This project’s design incorporates St. Luke’s branding while taking cues from McCall’s scenery, with elements of mountain architecture such as a pitched roof and wood-like, natural materials incorporated at key points such as entryways and under soffits. Reflective surfaces on the exterior also allow the local scenery to become a part of the architecture.
The building’s design also responds to the harsh mountain climate, with strong and complex structural systems designed to handle the intense snow load in the winter. In addition to structural sustainability, social sustainability was also an important component of the overall design strategy.
Idaho State University Health Clinics
LOCATION: MERIDIAN, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 23,000 SF
Hummel helped Idaho State University modernize and expand clinical services at their Meridian Campus. Located on the west end of the ground floor of the Sam and Aline Skaggs Health Science Building, these upgraded skills labs improve overall efficiency and provide appropriate adjacency. The design created new and expanded clinics such as counseling, speech-language pathology, physical therapy/occupational therapy, nutrition, medication management, audiology, and language pathology. This promotes for workforce development, interprofessional education, and hands-on patient experience for students, all of which are highly encouraged by accreditation bodies.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Clinics
✓ Rehabilitation
Our team worked closely with ISU to develop a list of priorities based on the cost model provided by the CM/GC. We also reviewed the campus Master Plan and developed a project that meets the clinical needs of today while providing for the expansion of services in the future. The team successfully executed a majority of the bid alternates.
The project was constructed in two major phases. Phase I included remodeling the area for Communication Sciences and Disorders. Work for this phase commenced December 2019 and was substantially completed and ready for occupancy by June 2020. Phase II involved remodeling the areas for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling. The existing counseling area remained occupied until the new counseling clnic area became available. Work for this was substantially completed and ready for occupancy by January 2021.
Idaho Elks
Children’s Pavilion
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 230,000 SF
This four-story children’s specialty medical office building is the first addition of the St. Luke’s Downtown Capital Improvement Plan. The medical facility houses multi-use spaces on the first floor and standardized clinics on the remaining three floors, in addition to a 105,000 SF below-grade parking garage.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Rehabilitation
✓ Surgery
✓ Medical Imaging
✓ Rehabilitation
The first-floor programming includes a fully functional teaching kitchen with an attached training room, a family resource center, and a sibling care center. Clinics on the upper three floors include General Pediatrics, Pediatrics Research, Pulmonology, Infectious Disease and Endocrinology, Neurosurgery and Psychology, Ophthalmology, Ear Nose and Throat, Gastrointestinal, Cardiology, and Urology.
Spanning over 125 feet above an active road, the Idaho Elks Children’s Pavilion Skybridge facilitates direct access for doctors from the Pavilion to the pediatric ICU and inpatient units within the hospital. Hummel led a series of workshops with the design team, owner, and key trade partners to develop a plan for the sky bridge that minimized disruptions to the adjacent hospital and streamlined the construction process. Our team also led the owner and design team through a complicated entitlements process with local and county stakeholders.
South Meridian Medical Office Building
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 16,500 SF
Hummel designed a new family-oriented Medical Office Building (MOB) in South Meridian to serve the growing Meridian community. The single-story 16,500 SF MOB provides clinic space for pediatrics, family practice, and physical therapy practices. The facility also includes provider and nurse work areas, an imaging and reception area, a waiting room, exam rooms, procedure rooms, a rehab gym, offices, and staff ancillary services.
The building design utilizes traditional St. Luke’s materials while incorporating cues from the surrounding development to provide a cohesive feel to the area. Hummel worked with the client from programming and design development through construction documentation and construction administration. Hummel was also the interior designer, selecting finishes, and coordinating existing furniture placement.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Medical imaging
✓ Rehabilitation
Boise Surgery Center
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 14,300 SF
Hummel designed the reconfiguration and renovation of an existing surgery and clinical space on the first floor of the St. Luke’s Medical Office Plaza, located adjacent to their Boise hospital campus.
The project renovation includes four operating rooms, clean supply, and central sterile facilities, an anesthesiology work room, pre-op/post-op (PACU/ POHA) bays, 23-hour observation rooms, nurse stations, nourishment/med stations, a waiting room and reception, locker rooms with showers, and other supporting functional spaces.
Additionally, the scope includes a new entry to First Street, a mechanical platform at the third-floor roof deck, upgrades in the basement mechanical rooms, and minor improvements to the rooftop parking deck. The work includes seismic upgrades and HVAC necessary to support the Surgery Center.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Medical imaging
✓ Surgery
Park Boulevard Medical Office
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 18,000 SF
Hummel completed a new Ambulatory Clinic Facility for St. Luke’s Health System, which provides a consolidated clinic environment for practitioners who were scattered throughout older existing buildings. The new facility creates an optimized configuration supporting improved staff working conditions. The layout encourages staff collaboration, provides standardized patient treatment spaces, and offers reduced redundancy through an efficient suite layout.
The program boasts an open, welcoming lobby, easy and intuitive wayfinding for patients and visitors, and improved traffic control for staff. The facility includes a diagnostic X-ray, a small lab, an anticoagulation clinic, behavioral health, and point-of-care testing areas.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Clinics
✓ Labs/Phlebotomy
✓ Medical imaging
Shipping & Receiving
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 28,500 SF
The Shipping and Receiving building is a threestory structure with two stories above grade and one story below grade. The new facility combines architectural and equipment upgrades that will substantially improve operational efficiency. This building stores, receives, and distributes goods for the entire Downtown Boise St. Luke’s campus. The facility houses shipping and receiving docks, a mail room, the environmental services team, the building services team, and additional parking.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Hospital
The structure includes steel columns and beams with composite concrete over metal deck floors. The facades features brick with a curtain wall and storefront on the street sides and smooth-faced CMU, metal panels, and louvers on the alley side.
The Shipping/Receiving building is connected to the new Central Plant building through a service tunnel that crosses under Jefferson Street. This system of underground tunnels faciliate the transportation of essential building utilities and logistics to travel to and from the hospital, preventing clutter on public sidewalks.
Central Plant Facility
LOCATION: BOISE, ID
SQUARE FOOTAGE: 68,700 SF
St. Luke’s Health System’s new Central Plant serves their entire Downtown Campus, including a future Medical Office Building and North Bed Tower. Functional and support spaces include offices, shops, numerous mechanical and electrical rooms, emergency power electrical rooms, boiler and chiller rooms, fire riser rooms, and more.
✓ Interior Design
✓ Medical Planning and Programming
✓ Life Safety Code
✓ Hospital
Powering the entire St. Luke’s Downtown Campus, the building features robust infrastructure equipment to support the hospital’s large-scale operations. The design approach to this project focused on its identity as the “heart” of St. Luke’s campus. Large windows in key mechanical spaces aim to showcase the complex inner workings of the building. This “heart concept” also influenced the brick design, with custom bricks in the St. Luke’s blend that create the undulating brick pattern on the facades.
The facility is adjacent to a six-story parking garage and a future Medical Office Building. The Central Plant is connected to the Shipping/ Receiving and Hospital Buildings with underground tunnels. The tunnels allow essential building utilities and logistics to travel to and from the hospital.
