A recent groundbreaking ceremony inaugurated the first phase of a 1.4-million-sf master plan by Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) for The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. Demolition will commence on a parking garage at the south end of the hospital’s complex—clearing the way for the new SOM-designed Orthopaedic and Spine Center (OSC).
The 332,000–sf design draws on the predominantly red brick character of The Christ Hospital’s existing buildings, interpreting it in a fresh and contemporary manner that fits well within the historic Mt. Auburn neighborhood while reflecting the institution’s dedication to experience, efficiency, flexibility, innovation and brand.
Completion of the new OSC Building will be in mid-2015, with other master plan improvements, including street reconfiguration, a new entrance, parking garage and central utility plant improvements scheduled to be in operation during the building’s construction.
The structure will provide a new public face for the south side of the hospital, facing downtown Cincinnati. Its asymmetrical façade highlights The Christ Hospital’s iconic cupola while providing new patient rooms on the upper floors with stunning views of downtown Cincinnati and beyond from its hilltop locale. Lower floors house orthopaedic, spine and sports medicine facilities that are distinct yet fully connected with the hospital’s existing surgery and imaging infrastructure to increase long term efficiencies.
The seven-story building (plus one below-grade level) includes facilities for imaging and surgery (with 10 new operating rooms and space to add two additional operating rooms) on the lower floors. The third floor (dubbed Level 1) includes public facilities and is part of a new interior circulation path that connects all the hospital’s buildings on a single level. A roof garden is incorporated into the OSC building on this level to provide a private outdoor respite for the building’s users. Non-public mechanical spaces are located on Level 2 while Level 3 provides raw space for future expansion of patient beds. The upper floors—Levels 4 and 5—have a total of 60 new private patient rooms and their attendant services. Another roof garden is accessible atop the structure. +
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
CHPS debuts high-performance building products database
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) made a new tool available to product manufacturers to help customers identify building products that contribute to sustainable, healthy, built environments. The tool is an online, searchable database where manufacturers can list products that have met certain environmental or health standards ranging from recycled content to materials that contribute to improved indoor air quality.
| Aug 11, 2010
ICC launches green construction code initiative for commercial buildings
The International Code Council has launched its International Green Construction Code (IGCC) initiative, which will aim to reduce energy usage and the carbon footprint of commercial buildings.Entitled “IGCC: Safe and Sustainable By the Book,” the initiative is committed to develop a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings. It will focus on building design and performance.
| Aug 11, 2010
Green Building Initiative launches two certification programs for green building professionals
The Green Building Initiative® (GBI), one of the nation’s leading green building organizations and exclusive provider of the Green Globes green building certification in the United States, today announced the availability of two new personnel certification programs for green building practitioners: Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Green Globes Assessor (GGA).
| Aug 11, 2010
Potomac Valley Brick launches brick design competition with $10,000 grand prize
Potomac Valley Brick presents Brick-stainable: Re-Thinking Brick a design competition seeking integrative solutions for a building using clay masonry units (brick) as a primary material.
| Aug 11, 2010
Outdated office tower becomes Nashville’s newest boutique hotel
A 1960s office tower in Nashville, Tenn., has been converted into a 248-room, four-star boutique hotel. Designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with PowerStrip Studio as interior designer, the newly converted Hutton Hotel features 54 suites, two penthouse apartments, 13,600 sf of meeting space, and seven “cardio” rooms.
| Aug 11, 2010
HDR, Perkins+Will top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest healthcare design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 Healthcare Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Steel Joist Institute announces 2009 Design Awards
The Steel Joist Institute is now accepting entries for its 2009 Design Awards. The winning entries will be announced in November 2009 and the company with the winning project in each category will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship in its name to a school of its choice for an engineering student.
