Healthcare Design - May 2022 - 56

INTERIOR DESIGN PORTFOLIO
Altus Architectural
Studios Inc.
Munroe-Meyer Institute
OMAHA, NEB.
UNMC's Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI)
serves individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities and their families. Its new
220,078-square-foot, $91 million facility has
four floors with three levels designated to serve
patients. The fourth floor yields office space for
the 500+ employees who provide more than 50
clinical services for 15,000+ children and adults
every year.
The design incorporated thousands of inTop
left: The design team was
challenged to create a " PLAY
space where healing happens. "
Special focus on the building's
impact on sensory feedback
was of primary concern. Top
right: A wind-powered kinetic
sculpture was placed outside
of MMI's new home. All art was
purposefully selected to achieve
a sense of welcome and comfort,
inclusion and belonging.
Middle: Interior installations
include soaring ceilings,
artwork, whimsical colors, and
varied-level peep holes for
patients of every size. Bottom:
Therapy and recreational pools
with splash pad zone combine
treatment and play opportunities
for MMI patients. Photos:
Brad Anderson, Architectural
Photography, Inc.
tricate details including low-sensory finishes,
colors, and textures. Unique " respite zones "
- equipped with dimmable lighting and paired
with colors and textures designed to reduce
stress from external sensory input - were strategically
placed as calming areas for patients.
Installations included colorful water features,
whimsical art, peepholes at varied height
levels enabling floor-to-floor visibility for visitors
of every size, and enhanced technology that
enables remote and discrete observation for
parents, researchers, and care team providers.
The new facility also houses the Caring for
Champions Program, a collaboration with Special
Olympics, to provide vision, dental, and
weight management services, as well as the
new, integrated Center for Autism Spectrum
Disorders (iCASD), where MMI teams provide
interdisciplinary care in a streamlined clinical
experience. The new facility also features an expansive
aquatic center with a recreational pool,
therapy pool, and splash pad zone, a gymnasium,
and a 100% accessible outdoor playground.
DESIGN TEAM:
Dr. Karoly Mirnics,
MD, PhD, director,
Munroe-Meyer
Institute, University
of Nebraska Medical
Center (visionary
leadership); University
of Nebraska Medical
Center Facilities
Management
(facility planning
and management);
Altus Architectural
Studios Inc. (planning,
programming,
and design); MCL
Construction
(construction services
and management);
Specialized
Engineering Solutions
(MEP engineering);
Olsson (structural and
civil engineering); JEO
Consulting Group,
Inc. (pool design); Mill
Creek (equipment and
furniture planning,
and procurement);
ASPECTSS
Architecture for
Autism (autism design
consultancy)
CONTACT:
Jill Reeves
jreeves@altusstudios.
com
(402) 885-6705
altusstudios.com
56
MAY 2022 / SUPPLEMENT TO HEALTHCARE DESIGN
http://www.altusstudios.com
Healthcare Design - May 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - May 2022
