2024 was an incredibly successful and frenetic year, so much so that certain tasks such as updating this blog went to the wayside. Finally, I’ll spend a bit of time playing catchup highlighting specific projects, so here goes nothing right? Early last spring I took my first trip to metropolitan Lubbock, Texas for a multiple-day shoot to photograph the UMC Health and Wellness hospital for HDR, Condray Design Group, Whiting-Turner, and Lee Lewis Construction. These types of high-end, state-of-the-art facilities are increasingly popping up across the country as consolidated, centralized hubs for healthcare.
I often dub the design of most major hospitals as “party in the front, big box in the back” – in other words, most of the aesthetic exterior and interior design features are typically in the public-facing front of the hospital for entrance, check-in, waiting, and circulation with a large functional box housing most core medical programming. This layout of this hospital was much more “party in the front and the back” with the big box cleverly dispersed or tucked away beyond public spaces. A key reason this was possible is the site is a large plot of land with little urban surrounding context to immediate respond to – as close to a blank slate you can get. HDR created a 3-story hospital story hospital, broken down into key parts including emergency services, surgery and medical care, wellness and fitness, and cancer treatment. The sweeping curved form features a glass concourse that allows natural light to filter into many public spaces.
Staged in front of the concourse a canopy signifies the main public entry.
Inside natural daylight meets architectural light sources. The generous fenestration allows tons of light during the daytime hours. The glass panels electrochromic, meaning electricity adjusts the light transmission properties of the glass to shades of blue pending the intensity of daylight, pending time of day and year, protecting spaces inside from the impact of heat. That’s right – the glass transforms to a blue tint, which is a challenge to photograph. Southern states, especially those like Texas are seeing a dramatic rise of this material specified for energy conservation in response to high day temperatures.
The use of electrochromic glass allowed minimal use of architectural ceiling lighting, which were set dimmer during day hours. This was supplemented by lit wall panels that wrapped around the elevator core.
Yesterday’s big box hospitals tended to neglect natural daylight and contemporary healthcare design has really focused on the mental and physical effect of light filtering through its spaces.
All public spaces can be easily navigated by the concourse and two-story entrance lobby. Here, you see the entrance into the fitness center, access to a cafe, with large TV display and waiting room above.
Transparency was at play in the design, allowing views both inside and outside the hospital. At the cafe, the curved form of the hospital visually continues beyond instead of terminating at a wall.
Because we had 4 days to shoot, it allowed us to properly coordinate shots during specific times of day to maximize the visual impact of natural light while minimizing the effect of the blue tint. Both floors featured a colorful artwork installation that very much complimented the concourse design and at night can be seen from outside.
The concourse windows that tint blue during the day offers clear views inside at night.
I did like the transition of wood paneling to acoustical tile that swept through the public domain.
Dispersed throughout the hospital lit graphic panels that added a quiet touch of nature inside.
Photographically, one of the tasks was to present these panels as thoroughly integrated with the interior architecture.
At the very end of the hospital is a separate entry for emergency services.
As my career evolves, healthcare continues to be represent a significant percentage of my work and it’s always interesting finding ways to represent people using these spaces, especially in a patient rooms.
The infusion treatment room, similar to the public spaces, allows a generous flood of natural daylight for patients.
Infusion has a separate hospital entrance, which includes a waiting room with nature integrated in the form of lit panels and wallcovering.
The fitness center has everything you’d see in many gyms – equipment, machines, classrooms, lockers and showers.
Remember when I described this building as “party in the front and back”? The opposite side of the concourse features another entry/exit into the lobby space through a plaza with landscaping including signature blocks of limestone.
Lastly a sunset over the hospital. Was a pleasure working with everyone involved, especially HDR and Whiting-Turner.
