Alex G . Spanos Heart & Vascular Center at Dignity Health ’ s Mercy General Hospital
Architect : HDR Landscape Architect : The HLA Group Location : Sacramento Year completed : 2014
Located in a historic district of East Sacramento , Dignity Health ’ s Mercy General Hospital has served the local community for nearly 100 years . The new Alex G . Spanos Heart & Vascular Center addition needed to blend in with the existing hospital as well as the surrounding community . The architects embarked on a number of field trips to find design inspiration . “ We took lots of drives around the neighborhoods and took lots of photographs , mostly of details on the homes , and it was obvious to us that a masonry and glass kind of box wasn ’ t going to work there ,” says Tom Onnen , health care principal for HDR . The team also visited a well-known example of the Craftsman style , The Gamble House in Pasadena , and Disney ’ s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa , a commercial application of the Arts and Crafts design style .
The first step was to design a front entryway that people could easily find . A porte cochere supported by stone columns clad in tapered stone and large storefront windows help emulate the craftsman feel and provide a grand , welcoming entry . Interiors were designed with warm woods and earth tones , especially in the lobby . A new light-filled chapel was designed to replace the existing dark and windowless space . For patient convenience , the cardiac services , which were spread over a myriad of buildings , were consolidated . A one-stop intake center was located on the main floor with convenient access to other services such as the catheterization labs , surgery centers and cardiac intensive care unit . “ We were again trying to make things easy for the patients and their families ,” Onnen says , “ including designing an expansive lobby with plenty of space for families to wait .”
The new heart center building was designed as a separate facility and needed to be spaced away from the existing building , which gave the architects the ability to add a multi-amenity healing garden directly off the main lobby with the extra open land . The Sacramento landscape architecture firm The HLA Group was tapped to design the outdoor space . “ The goal was to create a contemplative oasis for patients and staff and visitors ,” says HLA Principal Landscape Architect , Greg Hauser . The landscape team used various textures and colors in the plantings and designed a terraced water feature with rock outcroppings , reflecting pond and wood decks made from organic materials . An assortment of seating , viewing and reflection areas create calm and relaxing spaces . The landscape design helped to seamlessly integrate the hospital and the heart center into the surrounding neighborhood .
January 2022 | comstocksmag . com 65