HGA was awarded an In Business Commercial Design Award for the design at Gundersen St. Joseph’s Hospital and Clinics, Hillsboro Hospital.
As a critical-access facility, the Gundersen St. Joseph’s Hospital and Clinics serves Hillsboro and the surrounding rural communities providing services across the health care continuum to nearly 3,500 people — and is considered an integral part of the rural health care system. Gundersen must be prepared for multiple inpatient and emergency scenarios, so the inpatient unit and the emergency department are co-located so that the emergency department can overflow into patient rooms if needed.
The design includes energy efficiency measures that use less energy to produce heat, hot water, and cold air in addition to energy-efficient lighting and appliances.
The judges praised the design that deinstitutionalizes the hospital and clinic by making it less intimidating and more inviting. They shared that while each room is designed to maximize space and every space can adapt to change, “the patient experience also is served by oversized southern exposed windows that allow in ample natural daylight and permit serene views of Field Veterans Memorial Lake.”
“What impressed me most about this project was the very generous use of natural daylight,” one judge shared. “The building was developed in a manner that allowed light and view to penetrate many of the spaces. The access to nature and natural light has been shown to be a positive influence on health and wellbeing.”
To learn more, visit In Business magazine.
