2023 Healthcare Design Showcase: The Judging Journey

I’m just returning from our annual judging event for the 23rd annual Healthcare Design Showcase. We’ve traditionally hosted the jury in Chicago, but this year we decided it was time for a change and set out for Omaha, Neb., a city full of impressive and award-winning healthcare projects, as well as the HDR headquarters, which served as our meeting venue.

I won’t reveal the winners just yet—keep your eye on hcdmagazine.com and explore the Design Showcase when it publishes in August.

For now, I’ll share that we dedicated a day prior to the judging itself to go on facility tours—a new addition to the event.

First, HDR gave presentations on two of the firm’s recent Showcase-winning international projects. Next, we hit the road and got a first-hand look at the firm’s Omaha-based Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

We were then guided by Altus Architectural Studios through its 2022 Showcase winner, Munroe-Meyer Institute, and lastly by Leo A Daly through that firm’s Omaha VA Ambulatory Care Center project.
It was an ideal way to kick things off, and a reminder to jury members of what excellent design achieves—in all cases, these were environments that delivered impressive solutions to serve their unique care specialties and patient populations.

Take the Chihuly Sanctuary at the Buffett Cancer Center. The 3,000+-square-foot cornerstone to the hospital’s already impressive healing arts program showcases thousands of pieces by glass artist Dale Chihuly and offers an immensely peaceful retreat for patients, families, and staff who are managing the weight of cancer treatment.

The Munroe-Meyer Institute, which provides more than 100 services for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities, transformed a former office building into an immersive, fun, engaging, and accessible space that appears to address every possible detail that might interfere with a patient’s experience or safety. Meanwhile, the Omaha VA is a model of meaningful design, replete with solutions that both reflect and serve its population of veterans and their family members as both a healthcare and social destination.

It’s a special treat to walk so many projects, particularly in one day. And I’m immensely grateful to both the facilities and their design teams for allowing us to spend some time with them.

I’ll also take a moment to say how grateful I am to have spent time over my career with three inspiring industry members whom we’ve lost in recent weeks: Derek Parker, formerly of Anshen + Allen; Rebecca Lewis of DSGW Architects; and Robin Guenther of Perkins&Will. They were each champions for the field of healthcare design in many ways, and their legacies will certainly be lasting. Our HCD team sends condolences to their families and colleagues.

Jennifer Kovacs Silvis is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Design. She can be reached at jennifer.silvis@emeraldx.com.

The post 2023 Healthcare Design Showcase: The Judging Journey first appeared on HCD Magazine.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Willapa Harbor Hospital Plans $65M Replacement Hospital In Washington State

Willapa Harbor Hospital (South Bend, Wash.) is planning to build a $65 million replacement facility in Raymond, Wash., according to the website thedailyworld.com . Situated on 20 acres, the 56,000-square-foot hospital will be larger than the existing facility to meet increased demand for services, including emergency room beds. Approximately $45 million of the projected cost of the will come from U.S. Department of Agriculture loan financing, according to the website article. Construction is slated to begin in 2025. The post Willapa Harbor Hospital Plans $65M Replacement Hospital In Washington State first appeared on HCD Magazine .
Read more

Supporting The Connection Between Facility Design And Outcomes

Image
“This is an exciting time for our industry. We might be facing some of our most demanding challenges, but we are also in a time of unprecedented growth in the construction of new building projects and of building renovations and remodels.” These were the opening words when I penned my first column 22 years ago for the newly launched Healthcare Design magazine. They are as relevant today as they were more than two decades ago. At that time, current spending on healthcare construction was $17 billion a year and was expected to increase to $27 billion annually in the next decade. This year, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, healthcare construction spending is estimated to reach more than $62 billion and continue to increase over the next five years. Increasing demand for healthcare services and an aging population will continue to drive new construction for the foreseeable future, especially for new outpatient clinics. At the same time, the added financ
Read more

Expansion of Sharp Rees-Stealy Otay Ranch Medical Center Underway

Sharp Rees-Stealy Otay Ranch Medical Center in San Diego has completed the first phase of a $86 million multiphase expansion. Opened in December 2023, the project included a new four-level parking garage with capacity for 610 vehicles. The next phase will add a two-story medical office building (MOB) with an urgent care center, advanced imaging technology, and expanded services. The project team includes HGW Architecture (architect and interior designer; San Diego) and DPR Construction (general contractor; San Diego).
Read more