Gresham Smith is pleased to announce the completion of Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center’s new critical care tower in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The construction, renovation and expansion of the facility is part of a multi-phase campus master plan that the firm has implemented in partnership with Novant Health and McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture.
“Through a continuation of our long-standing partnership with Novant Health, we are excited to deliver this new space for both the staff and Winston-Salem community,” said Pat Burke, AIA, EDAC, NCARB, Healthcare senior vice president. “Gresham Smith is intent on delivering the best patient experience possible, and this critical care tower will improve healthcare services and allow for future growth for decades to come.”
The project includes the design and construction of a 193,000-square-foot, five-story addition to the existing hospital and supports the expansion of surgical services with new and renovated operating rooms, a new peri-operative suite, and a new central sterile processing department. Three floors of nursing units include 59 new universally designed critical care patient rooms and 36 med-surg patient rooms. The addition is designed for future vertical expansion, as well as connectivity to the existing nursing units.
Using full-scale mock-up rooms, the design team was able to gain valuable feedback and input from hospital clinicians during multiple working sessions to inform and finalize the new patient rooms design. The team also strategically located nursing support spaces, including nurse workstations outside each patient room to promote increased time spent at patients’ bedside for care and monitoring without disruption. The design also increases supply storage; decentralized storage, including custom-designed personal protective equipment supply cabinets, located along the corridors enhances efficiency for nursing staff and provides easy access to needed supplies.
The interior finish palette incorporates the facility’s finish standards, while also modernizing the design with blue and green accent colors and wood tones to create a calm, welcoming space that’s conducive to a healing environment. Feature walls using large-scale photos of local imagery connect the hospital to familiar areas of Winston-Salem, reinforcing the hospital’s connection to the community while providing visual cues for wayfinding.
“We are honored to have collaborated with an exceptional and dedicated team of health professionals and stakeholders to create a state-of-the-art facility that fosters the well-being of the patients and communities that it serves,” commented Marcus Sheward, Principal, Healthcare Segment Leader, McMillan Pazdan Smith.
