Healthcare Design - August 2022 - 18

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P
RIOR TO THE opening of the new 117,000-square-foot
Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain (MIDB),
neurodevelopmental clinical care, research, and educational
services for early childhood and adolescent
patients were spread across the University of Minnesota
campus in Minneapolis, creating a less-than-ideal
experience for patients. " Why would you have these
separate entities all over campus and move a child from
place to place when you could have a one-stop shop? " says Dr. Michael
Georgieff, a newborn intensive care doctor and co-director of the MIDB.
Three years ago, the various stakeholders providing these services-
including clinical departments involved in the assessing and treatment
of patients with disorders from autism to rare diseases, child and adolescent
psychiatry, and child neurology-came together to transform a former,
two-story Shriners Hospital near the university's main campus into
a destination for centralized services.
Designed by HGA (Minneapolis) and built by Knutson Construction
(Minneapolis), the new institute, which opened in November 2021, comprises
a pair of two-story buildings connected by an elevated skywalk,
with one building housing clinical care and research with education and
workplace functions located in the other. Rebecca Kleinbaum Sanders,
vice president and principal, healthcare practice group, at HGA, says the
project team looked at different stacking models
for the clinic/research building, including
splitting the building's two floors by patient
population, before deciding to centralize clinic
services on the first floor and research on the
second to maximize flexibility. A two-story arrival
atrium cuts through the building, creating
a visual connection for families and staff as
they move between the floors.
The project team took a strategic approach to
reuse as much of the existing structure and layout
as possible and save the budget for moves
that would have the most impact, Sanders says.
For example, early on, the project team decided
to reconfigure the entrance from the parking
garage to the central atrium to improve
navigation and wayfinding. " No matter how
you enter the building, you know exactly where
you need to go and where to find that waiting or
reception area, " Sanders says.
To support the center's new work model and
18
AU GUST 2022
ABOVE: A staff break
and collaboration area
takes advantage of one
of the buildings' existing
skylights to connect
occupants to nature.
BELOW: The parking
ramp entry uses custom
artwork and curvilinear
ceiling elements to draw
families and visitors to
the main atrium.
foster synergies across functions that had rarely
shared physical space before, the facility features
an open work environment for staff and
shared break rooms that are strategically placed
near different programs to maximize opportunities
for positive " collisions, " Georgieff says.
Research and user engagement feedback
guided the project team in choosing colors, materials,
and furnishings that would support the
diverse sensory needs of patients. For example,
families shared the importance of a variety of
seating arrangements with child-friendly furnishings.
In response, the center offers multiple
settings for waiting, including a colorful
playroom overlooking an outdoor playground
as well as a calm room with muted colors and
subtly textured wallpaper for those who prefer
a quieter space. Additionally, the signage, custom
artwork, and color palette are inspired by
nature, with a river and tree theme used on the
first and second floors, respectively. " We looked
across all ages, backgrounds, and the neurodiverse
spectrum to consider how does this
space welcome and embrace all, " says Meredith
Hayes Gordon, vice president and arts, community,
and higher education practice group
leader, at HGA.-Anne DiNardo, executive editor
HCDMAGAZINE.COM
COREY GAFFER
http://www.HCDMAGAZINE.COM
Healthcare Design - August 2022

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