Nov 11, 2024 _ news

Construction Begins on West Tower at TriHealth’s Good Samaritan Hospital

As part of its master facility and modernization plan, TriHealth has begun construction on its new West Tower at Good Samaritan Hospital, the system’s flagship and the oldest healthcare facility in Cincinnati. Speaking at the celebration event for this milestone, TriHealth CEO, Mark Clement, said, “This project is about transforming this campus into a destination for healthcare services.” The West Tower will include cancer care, multiple operating rooms, imaging, pulmonary care, and women’s services.

Evoking the helping hand inherent in Good Samaritan Hospital’s name and approach to care, this campus transformation seeks to ease the patient journey and provide a welcoming environment. In addition to enhanced parking and intuitive wayfinding for patients, families, and visitors, the design allows more daylight to come into interior spaces. Nurse stations feature curving biophilic forms that add a softness to the space and help hide clutter and provide privacy for nurses. The waiting area in the Cancer and Blood Institute offers patients an uplifting, daylit space with seating choices and views out to the surrounding neighborhood.

A feature in the waiting area is a sculptural column that branches out at the ceiling. We used our in-house computational design expertise to evoke the graceful canopy of trees and provide a sense of shelter. Dappled light projected on to it from the ceiling mimics the feeling of light through leaves. “Connecting to nature in built spaces doesn’t always mean a literal interpretation of natural elements,” says Chris Bartell, who is part of the project team. “A sculptural, abstract element like this can mimic the sense of a sheltering tree canopy while also creating interest.”

Having already incorporated living plant walls into several healthcare projects, we’re working with TriHealth to further innovate ways to connect patients, visitors, and staff with biophilic elements that help create an uplifting environment and experience.

Read about this project in the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Learn more about our work with TriHealth here, here, and here.

See more of our healthcare work here.