Three of Our Projects Win 2020 European Healthcare Design Awards

UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute:
Healthcare Design Award
Health and Life Sciences Research Award

The University of Cincinnati’s Gardner Neuroscience (UCGNI) Institute earned the most coveted prize, the Healthcare Design Award, in the under 25,000-square-meter category. This award recognizes “an outstanding healthcare project in a community or primary care setting that demonstrates high levels of sustainability and urban integration, transforming the quality of care services in an accessible location, and supporting the integrated needs of staff, patients and the community.”

Additionally, the project won a Health and Life Sciences Research High Commendation, which recognizes “an outstanding health and life sciences project that supports the alignment of training and education, clinical research, informatics, innovation and healthcare delivery, with a focus to improve patient and population health outcomes by translating research into practice to develop integrated health services.”

UCGNI is a leading treatment, research, and teaching center accommodates the unique physical and mental needs of various neurological patients with a focus on well-being and hospitality. Each component of the design was developed with patient, family, and caregiver input—and with research from our firm’s Human Experience (Hx) Lab. Design strategies include direct access from the parking lot to exam rooms, a specialized polyester fiber mesh façade that prevents glare and visual disorientation, and acoustical insulation to ensure minimal disruption to patients with auditory sensitivities.

MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion:
Interior Design and Arts Award

The Medical University of South Carolina’s Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion won an Interior Design and Arts High Commendation. This award recognizes the skill required in creating a compassionate healthcare environment that reflects the client’s values through interior design and visual arts.

This children’s hospital and women’s pavilion is one of the country’s most autism-friendly hospitals. Special care and consideration were paid to remove potential triggers that could create an overwhelming environment. The design prioritizes predictability with a lack of visual clutter, as well as lighting and acoustic considerations.

The interiors also create a sense of familiarity, reflecting the city’s surrounding landscape and local community. The tones and textures of the hospital rooms, for example, are reminiscent of Charleston’s beach houses and create a calming atmosphere for recovery and respite. In the main lobby, visitors are greeted by an installation by local photographer John Duckworth, who captured the essence of the South Carolina marsh, reproduced in a film layer between glass. In the chapel, meanwhile, a fused glass artwork known as an Angel Oak is inspired by a 400-year-old oak nearby.