A Tradition of Compassion
Mercy Health, Kings Mills Hospital
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Mason, OH | 175,000 SF
A double-height glass entry helps bring ample daylight into the interior.
Built to serve unmet inpatient needs in the rapidly growing Northern Cincinnati suburbs, Kings Mills Hospital provides a peaceful, healing environment for its visitors.
Aligning design and buildability of the wood ribs for the lobby required early and close coordination with local fabricator, Riverside Architectural Millwork.
Together, we were able to leverage the natural pre-cut dimensions of the wood which helped save time and material cost.
Clad in metal, fiber reinforced concrete panels and glass, the exterior of new hospital looks crisp and modern, yet it gives subtle expression to Mercy Health’s spiritual identity and mission. Quietly integrated into the façade, a cross stands above the double-height glass wall of the main entrance. This opens to a welcoming, sunlit lobby whose vaulted wood ribs softly echo the interior of a gothic cathedral and a sculptural, wood stair that encourages physical activity.
The windows that bring natural light deep into the building during the day turn Mercy Health's Kings Mills Hospital into a beacon at night.
Directing emergency traffic to one side of the building, the main lobby serves the hospital and directly connects to an adjoining medical office building.
Through the glass curtain wall directly opposite the entrance, visitors find comfort in a tranquil courtyard (pictured at the top of this page) that nestles between the two buildings. Clear sightlines assist with wayfinding, easing patient anxiety as they seek out registration, their care provider, the chapel, or other destinations.
A daylight filled waiting area complements an intuitive arrival sequence.
Placement of central corridors ensures ample daylight and views.
Rift white oak (RWO) with natural finish was used predominantly, including in the lobby ceiling and on the project's central monumental stair. Working with Riverside Architectural Millwork, we achieved the design intent with construction that allowed it to be suspended from the ceiling.
Designed with the well-being of its users in mind, the building’s configuration enables sweeping views from patient rooms and staff respite spaces while bringing natural light deep into its hallways and stairs. Its placement on the site will also allow for future, phased growth of the emergency, surgery, and imaging departments without disrupting operations. Departmental layouts throughout the hospital build on a system of prototypes GBBN has developed for the larger Bon Secours Mercy Health system, which help ensure consistently efficient, calm, and hopeful environments.
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Another iteration of the project's wood expression: creative screening for a sense of separation and privacy.
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The design of the chapel incorporates the wood from the other spaces and creatively brings in daylight.
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Timeless and neutral, rift white oak wood is compatible with other elements, like furniture and fixtures, in throughout the public spaces.
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A light, bright, lobby creates a sense of tranquility.
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Daylight, views, and natural materials come together.
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Awards
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News
AIA Ohio, Interior Architecture, Honor Award
