Healthcare Design - April 2020 - 30

PROJECT DETAILS

Project name: University of
Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience
Institute
Project completion date:
April 2019
Owner: UC Health
Total building area:
194,351 gross sq. ft.
Total construction cost:
$68 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $350
Architecture: Perkins and Will
Interior design: Perkins and Will
General contractor: Messer
Construction
Engineering: Shell + Meyer
Associates Inc. (structural),
Heapy Engineering (mechanical
and electrical), The Kleingers
Group (civil)
Construction manager: Hplex
Solutions
For an expanded list, visit
HCDmagazine.com. Project details
are provided by the design team and
not vetted by Healthcare Design.

The first-floor
rehabilitation suite
features a ceilingmounted, gaitassisted device,
walking track, and
outdoor terrace
with a variety of
walking surfaces
to help patients
going through
rehabilitation.

Because the project would consolidate most of the institute's services
under one roof, as well as mark the first new building on campus in three
decades, UC wanted "a gateway building to give a new face to the medical
center," Johnson says. Further raising the bar, the adjoining UC college
campus is known for several "starchitect" buildings, including a sculptural lab building designed by Frank Gehry across the street from the new
neuroscience institute.
Still, the project team knew it had to consider how the façade would impact patients' experience within the interior environments. For example,
while providing access to daylighting and outdoor views was important
to support circadian rhythms, "high-contrast lighting was not desirable
because some patients are extremely sensitive to bright or contrasting light/glare," Johnson says. To diffuse the natural light coming in, the
project team considered a variety of solar screens, including wood and
metal, before choosing a structural façade with a frame wrapped in a pattern of tensile mesh. The scrim is applied to the upper three levels on the
west, south, and east sides of the building that receive direct sunlight,
while a glass curtain wall was utilized on the north side. The 3-D sun-

APRIL 2020

POSITIVE IMPRESSION

Reflecting on the project, Broderick attributes
much of the success to the team's ability to understand the expressed needs and desires of patients and families and translate that to the design.
"Sometimes patients are coming in, and it's not for
a half-hour appointment; they may see the doctor,
get therapy, and go to imaging. They could be there
for two, three, or four hours," he says. "They want
to have a great environment that's quiet, calm, and
peaceful, even between appointments."
That meant no detail was too small, from the
extra attention paid in the parking garage to the
abundance of natural light to the style of doors on
the bathrooms and exam rooms. "It's a very different environment," Broderick says. "We wanted to
make it a great experience for the families as well as
the patients." 

E X T E R I O R S TAT E M E N T

shade fabric system diffuses light into the building, minimizing glare, and reduces the solar load
by 56 percent. The organic shape and patterning in
the fabric was inspired by folds in the brain lobes
"without being too literal," Johnson adds, while the
base of the building, housing the parking levels, is
covered in limestone and creates a plinth in which
the building sits.

Anne DiNardo is executive editor of Healthcare
Design. She can be reached at A N N E . D I N A R D O @
EMERALDX.COM.

HCDMAGAZINE.COM

MARK HERBOTH

enclosed areas are nearby where clinicians, social workers, and specialists
can meet. Because some specialties see patients only during certain hours
or days, the clinics feature similar exam room layouts so they can flex
into adjoining pods during peak demand. Designers also chose to exceed
the typical exam room size to ensure rooms could accommodate patients
arriving with multiple caregivers and the larger-sized clinician teams
typical at an academic medical center. "We couldn't have the smallest
minimum because of our patient needs and the types of services that the
doctors and nurses provide," Edelstein says. Additionally, furnishings and
equipment are designed to be moved around the room or be removed to
accommodate different tests and services, minimizing how often patients
are moved during a visit.

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Healthcare Design - April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - April 2020