For Immediate Release: February 1, 2008
HGA Architects and Engineers-Designed Facility Supports Pioneering Health-Care Partnership with Architecture that Streamlines Patient Experience and Enhances Team-Based Integrated Approach to Service Delivery
Minneapolis, MN - The pioneering health-care partnership between the University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Physicians and Fairview Health Services has taken an unprecedented leap in service delivery with the opening of the new Fairview Maple Grove Medical Center in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
Designed by HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA), Minneapolis, the 138,605-square foot facility supports and enhances the partnership's nationally recognized, integrated-care model, thus bringing the leading edge in academic- and community-based health care to one of Minneapolis/St. Paul's fastest-growing suburbs.
HGA designed the handsome brick and concrete facility, which features inviting expanses of steel-and-glass curtain walls enclosing light-filled atriums, to accomplish three primary goals. First, HGA's interior architecture maximizes interaction among physicians, interns, residents, nurses and staff who work within a team-based model, to increase the already high level of care in an academic teaching environment.
At the same time, HGA incorporated new design strategies that streamline the health-care delivery process for patients, thereby enhancing positive aspects of the patient experience. Finally, HGA master planned the site to preserve nearby fields and wetlands, while connecting the building's interior to this natural healing environment in numerous ways.
"The health-care partnership requested a comprehensive ambulatory-care facility that would bring their unique team-care and teaching approach, new choices in specialty care, and direct access to the latest medical advancements to a growing community outside of the Twin Cities core," says Gary Nyberg, RA, HGA principal. More specifically, Nyberg adds, the partnership was keenly interested in working with HGA to "develop a new way of delivering care to patients that respects the unique team approach utilized through the collaboration between the University of Minnesota and Fairview."
"At the same time, they wanted a new model that would provide easy access to services for patients, and an environment for caregivers that would allow them to interact and provide a high level of care in a teaching environment. Our challenge then became designing a facility that would support these innovations."
HGA fulfilled this objective with a design that provides convenient access to coordinated care in more than 20 medical specialties, in an environment designed to enhance that care delivery and the patient experience. In doing so, HGA created a landmark facility through which Fairview and the University of Minnesota "have started offering the resources of their large organization, with its breadth of expertise, directly to a new service area in the community," Nyberg says.
For the Patient. Among the health-care components housed at Fairview Maple Grove Medical Center are a 20,000-square-foot outpatient surgery center; a cancer-care center; a University of Minnesota Physicians Clinic for adults; and a University of Minnesota Children's Hospital Clinic. HGA clad most of the white-columned building in red brick, concrete and glass to convey a sense of timelessness and stability associated with the University of Minnesota's reputation for academic excellence.
The entrance to the main part of the building was designed to create a positive patient experience right from the start. It opens into a two-story atrium, in which staircases to upper floors are clearly visible, thus creating a transparency that allows visitors to immediately locate themselves in the building.
"The open space we created improves wayfinding as destination points can be found easily and quickly," Dan Polachek, AIA, Senior Design Architect. The atrium's curtain wall also faces out toward the natural area, immediately connecting the interior with the natural environment outdoors. In addition, the sleek glass-and-steel atrium expresses the partnership's forward-looking approach to health care and commitment to utilizing world-class technologies for diagnostics and treatment.
Because the University of Minnesota Physicians Clinic requested a separate (yet still connected) identity from the primary building, HGA clad the clinic in two shades of brick, and sheltered the entrance with modern aluminum sunshades. Also, inside the entrance to the main building, the specialty pediatric clinic welcomes children and parents with entrancing glasswork, bright colors and various nature motifs.
Kiosks inside the building's entrances allow for self-check-in (a strategy adapted from the airline industry). Or patients can visit a registration desk for personal service. "The University and Fairview are really ahead of the national trend in wanting to simplify the processes involved in medical visits," Nyberg says.
The simplification continues throughout the building. HGA grouped exam rooms around care-provider cores to minimize the travel distance from care core to exam rooms, and encourage interaction between staff. Similarly, HGA integrated the physical-therapy rooms, orthopedic clinic and imaging area to expedite medical care. "Because most orthopedic visits include a visit to imaging and time spent in physical therapy, we positioned these areas closely together to streamline that process from a patient perspective," Nyberg says.
HGA also clustered service areas where patients were most likely to benefit from views to the fields and wetlands outdoors, such as waiting areas and the cancer-care center's chemotherapy-treatment zone.
"These are places where patients might spend longer lengths of time, and we realized they would benefit from relaxing, healing views to the natural landscape," Polachek says. Many of the building's office spaces were also positioned along the perimeter of the building, to give staff seated for most of the day access to natural light.
Bringing the Outdoors In. "Connecting the interior of the building with the outdoor natural environment was an important design direction for the client," says Angela Ahrens, HGA interior designer. So in addition to providing views to the wetlands and wildlife through windows and glass curtain walls, HGA incorporated numerous design elements that bring the outdoors in while softening the interior, making it less institutional in look and feel.
Throughout the building, HGA integrated natural stone, maple wood trim stained either dark or light, warm cream-colored tile in various sizes, and either wood ceiling panels or 4' x 10' ceiling tiles that create "a more continuous and less institutional line," Ahrens explains.
Etched glass at the entrance of the pediatric clinic was scored to resemble cattails and waving grasses. The blue mosaic flooring is animated by fish and turtle shapes. Bug lights and "punchy colors like blue and yellow," Ahrens says, add the clinic's aesthetic appeal.
"The goal with the children's area was to incorporate elements not only specific to young children, but that would also appeal to older kids and adults," Ahrens explains. "Everyone relates to nature and natural elements presented in this timeless, iconic way."
To enhance the interior's more residential aesthetic, pendant lights hang above nurse's stations. HGA also included numerous energy-saving lighting strategies throughout the building, including occupancy sensors to turn lights off in unoccupied areas and automatic daylighting controls for perimeter spaces.
The energy-saving features incorporated in the building include high-performance glass, energy-saving motors and drives for HVAC equipment, and energy-efficient chillers. HGA also specified low-water -use plumbing fixtures with automatic (hands-free) controls for all public restrooms.
Through its master planning and by designing interiors that enhance interaction among hospital staff who work within a team-based, teaching model, HGA was able to create a streamlined health-care delivery process for patients at Fairview Maple Grove Medical Center.
:: View Fairview Maple Grove Ambulatory Surgery Center
HGA Contact: Julie Luers (612) 758-4000 e-mail JLuers@hga.com
Media Contact: Susan Evans, Evans Larson (612) 338-6999 e-mail susan@evanslarson.com