Healthcare Design - December 2019 - 51

HEA

REMODEL/
RENOVATION

BRONZE

Cincinnati Children's
Hospital Medical Center,
Concourse & Arrival
Renovation

CARE D

P EDIATR ICS - BRONZ E W I NNE R

REMODEL/RENOVATION COMPETITION

2019

Cincinnati
S UBMITTED BY: G B B N A N D K O L A R D E S I G N * C I N C I N N A T I

BEFORE

J U RY C O M M E N T S :

D ESIG N TEAM:

GBBN (full architectural
services); Kolar
Design (wayfinding,
art, graphics, positive
distractions); Human
Nature (landscape); The
RCF Group (furniture);
Fosdick & Hilmer (MEP);
THP Limited (structural)
CO ST PER
SQ UAR E FO OT:

Not available
PHO T O S (AF T E R ):

Ryan Kurtz Photography
F IR M CO NTACT:

(513) 241-8700
www.gbbn.com

THE HOSPITAL CONCOURSE is the central artery
families travel within the hospital building.
It serves as the front door to the campus connecting the exterior drop-off, underground
parking garage, and a series of clinical buildings. As the campus evolved over time, the
concourse was no longer reflective of Cincinnati Children's brand promise to provide
state-of-the-art medicine and compassionate care. Nor was it supportive of the needs of
families who use the space daily.
The families making their way to appointments may have children in strollers, wheelchairs, or have an IV to pull. They may speak
a different language. In any case, people pass
through this concourse when their loved one is
sick, so they are stressed upon arrival. Unclear
wayfinding, anemic finishes, and unengaging passages did little to tend to these needs or

* Effective use of color
for aiding wayfinding.
Cohesive and
straightforward. Crisp
colors. Nice use of
light and green space.
* The transformation of
the exterior is elegant
and simple. The
celebration of the
garden as a focal
point in the orange
zone is wonderful.
The color strategy
of using a single
color in a specific
area with multiple
levels of saturation
is sophisticated and
interesting.
* This project embodies
the creative use of
color and monuments
for intuitive
wayfinding, provides
views to nature
and daylighting for
reducing occupant
stress, and contains
an overall sense of
welcoming to the
arrival experience.

comfort the hospital's
inhabitants. Understanding and meeting
the needs of the families arriving at Cincinnati Children's became
the task of the renovation.
The collaborative design team worked with
Cincinnati Children's to make the arrival experience easier, more welcoming, and friendly.
Through a multiphased renovation, the team
reorganized the journey from parking garage
to the concourse and to the final destination.
A consistent hierarchy was established to
ease orientation through use of color, lighting, graphics, art, and architecture. These cues
were carefully scripted to support and reinforce each other and to guide what the eye sees
and enable families to intuitively find where
they need to go.
Animal sculptures by Hawkins & Hawkins
welcome families to each building along the concourse. Their color reinforces the building color
coding, and the alliteration of their name reinforces the name of the building (A, B, C, D, etc.).
Their presence creates delight-filled moments
to help unburden families while also creating a
memorable moment that assists with navigation. The animal landmarks are also reinforced
within digital directories along the concourse
and within website, mobile app, and paperbased mapping tools.
Guided by family and patient input, the project serves to support visitors in their trip to the
hospital through designated areas to pull over,
take off coats, make calls, work, rest, or play
between appointments. Play opportunities
inspired by family input are designed to meet
a variety of needs and interests are integrated
throughout the concourse.

DECEMBER 2019

http://www.gbbn.com

Healthcare Design - December 2019

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