We are proud to announce that two Gresham Smith-designed projects were honored at the 2024 IIDA Healthcare Design Awards, which recognize design firms for creativity and innovation in the design of healthcare facilities within Ambulatory, Extended Care and Assisted Living Facilities, and Hospitals. Read about our winning projects below and congratulations to our talented teams!
Hospitals — Pediatric | Methodist Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital CVICU Expansion
Located in Memphis, Tennessee, the Methodist Le Bonheur Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) Expansion includes a dedicated 31-bed Cardiovascular ICU with a central, elevated Courtyard that fills the unit with daylight, while also providing a location for play and physical rehabilitation exercises. As another part of the CVICU, a hybrid Cardiac Catheterization Lab and MRI—one of only eight in the country—allows for safer patient care, with lesser time spent under anesthesia. Expansions to the facility’s Level IV NICU—the only one available within the state of Tennessee—PACU, and Blood Bank are also included.
The design for this project draws inspiration from the Mississippi River along with its shorelines and the natural foliage of the region. An evolved finish palette was applied to new interior spaces, providing a neutral canvas for local art installations—a top priority of the facility which currently houses hundreds of local works—while also integrating youthful, carefully balanced accents that respond to the function of a given space and the needs of its occupants (i.e., defining areas of respite and more activated zones).
This expansion builds upon the foundation of high cultural and operational standards that exist within this distinguished facility, while maintaining a focus on the future of care for generations to come.
Hospitals — Psychiatric | Sarasota Memorial Hospital Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion
Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s new 95,000-square-foot Cornell Behavioral Health Pavilion offers inpatient psychiatric services for patients ages 4 and up, as well as outpatient services for youth and adults including 24/7 crisis assessment, electroconvulsive stimulation treatment, and a wellness program for seniors.
Safety and the human experience were the top priorities identified by the project team, followed by quality and efficiency, integration of new technology, resiliency, and sustainability. For example, the new facility features well-lit hallways and nurses’ stations designed to provide maximum visibility of the patient areas.
An emphasis was also placed on making the aesthetics feel warm, welcoming, and adaptable to changing patient needs. Each patient pod features a spa-like, soothing blue color palette and unique natural imagery and themes suited to each population, avoiding anything too abstract or macro that might disturb patients in crisis. Materials were also chosen carefully, with durability and the safety of staff and patients being the top priorities.
