The University Hospital at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center embodies a novel approach to healing, discovering and teaching. The building will advance the University’s long-term planning vision and will facilitate interventional procedures and inpatient care — while providing families with technology-rich spaces designed for healing, respite and gathering.

With more than 800 private patient rooms and light-filled spaces, the seamless integration of environment, people, services, processes and culture will support a superior patient experience.

Novel and Functional Healthcare Solutions

In the initial programming and concept design effort, our team audited the condition, usage and utility of all buildings on the existing medical center campus in order to optimize the use of existing structures in combination with new facilities. A highly-integrated, multidisciplinary team studied the programmatic, planning, operational, functional, master planning, engineering and architectural aspects of adding a large patient care tower to the existing campus — this included the potential benefits of off-site support services to maximize space efficiency in existing buildings.

Parallel work streams for programming and design challenged all parties to think differently — to produce an innovative outcome and a holistic solution appropriate for a world-class academic medical center. Multiple perspectives came together to define real needs and reduce the time required to obtain data for critical decisions. Functional solutions were developed for how the new expansion would integrate into the Wexner Medical Center complex.

Data-Driven Design Informs Innovation

Traditional hospital planning and design processes have changed dramatically in the past few years — specifically in the integration of evidence-based design strategies, operational planning, and the use of technology — all aimed at delivering a better and more efficient building that fosters a higher quality of care.

Using parametric modeling, the design team was able to effectively address phasing strategies, optimized functional flows, travel times and distances throughout the campus. This data-centric approach allowed our team to evaluate various options relative to project operational goals and cost targets, thus managing costs from the early stages of design documentation.