In April, HGA teams celebrated a variety of community healthcare facilities designed to expand access to care and improve the patient experience. A new eye center opened in Cleveland, Ohio, and a smaller-scale hospital offering around-the-clock emergency care opened in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In Arkansas, a scientific hub for research and discovery opened its doors, and in Virginia, a hands-on science museum sure to spark curiosity broke ground. Read on for more about how these projects are enhancing the communities they serve:
Completed Projects
The Institute for Integrative & Innovative Research (I³R) celebrated the grand opening of its new facility, centrally located on the University of Arkansas’ Fayetteville campus. HGA partnered with the University in a design that sparks interdisciplinary collaboration, featuring leading-edge technology, advanced laboratories, and state-of-the-art research equipment. Expansive collaborative spaces across all three floors are designed to bring people together, fostering idea exchange, accelerating innovation, and driving cross-disciplinary solutions. The I³R is poised to make substantial contributions to research, economic development, and translational initiatives, aiming to tackle today’s most urgent challenges from protecting human health, to navigating the complexities of the food-energy-water nexus, and exploring the universe at various scales. Partners included Hufft as the architect of record and construction partner, CDI Contractors. Learn more about this dynamic hub driving transformative discoveries and partnerships, here.
The new Mount Carmel hospital is now open, fulfilling Mount Carmel Health System’s vision for a comprehensive health and wellness campus within the Dublin, Ohio community. Designed on a sprawling 35-acre greenfield site, the hospital offers emergency and intensive care services, alongside specialized care in cancer, heart health, and women’s health. To accommodate growing demand, an additional 30 beds will be added to the fourth floor in the coming months. HGA collaborated closely with Mount Carmel to create a design that reflects the natural surroundings and honors local heritage. The facility emphasizes warmth and softness, aligning with Mount Carmel’s healing mission. By integrating Mount Carmel and Trinity Health standards, the hospital features a highly efficient and adaptable design, ensuring readiness for future demands. The successful, on-time, and on-budget completion of the project was celebrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, underscoring the collaborative effort and high-performing project delivery. Read more, here.
The new ThedaCare Medical Center in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin is designed to meet patients where they are, bringing high-quality healthcare to the community in a modern, small-scale facility. The facility offers 24/7 emergency care as well as inpatient and outpatient services, imaging, and specialty services including cardiovascular care. HGA partnered with ThedaCare to design a healing environment that supports intuitive wayfinding, efficient emergency response, and a consistent experience across the health system’s nine hospitals. The hospitality-focused design incorporates textural interest and warmth through exterior brick and wood. Nature-inspired accents continue throughout the interior with quartz countertops, wood paneling, rich colors, and a dynamic ceiling echoing the local source for inspiration, Lake Winnebago. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, the hospital also includes a geothermal system, used to harness natural energy from the earth for hospital use, while also improving air quality and operational efficiency. Learn more about the new hospital, open and ready to serve the growing community, here.
The Jeffrey and Patricia Cole Pavilion doubles the footprint of Cleveland Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute responding to an increasing demand for eye care and procedures in the Cleveland, Ohio community. An expansion to the existing Cole Eye Institute, the new facility will offer eye imaging technology and clinical, diagnostic and surgical services for a range of eye diseases. Inside the facility, clinic spaces are thoughtfully arranged to maximize wayfinding, natural light, and views of the surrounding green space, ensuring an intuitive and stress-free experience. A three-sided glass atrium seamlessly connects the new addition to the existing institute, also undergoing renovation by HGA. With a clean, minimalist aesthetic that includes abundant natural light, bridges across the open atrium, and two monumental stairs with recessed handrails, the resulting design elevates the interplay of light and shadow and fosters a sense of calm and spatial clarity. Learn more about the multi-phase enhancements taking place at the Cole Eye Center, here.
Project Milestones
The new Northern Virginia Science Center, set to offer hands-on STEM-based learning and exhibits to nearly 300,000 visitors annually, in Sterling Virginia, held a construction launch. A partnership between the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation and the Science Museum of Virginia, the museum will feature exhibitions developed around science-focused themes: Habitat, Human, Helios, and Flow. HGA partnered with the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation and the Science Museum of Virginia to design a visitor experience that blurs the lines between interior exhibits and its natural surroundings. Located on a site facing Broad Run, a preserved natural site, the museum hosts abundant outdoor space and includes room for future expansion. Biophilic elements such as large windows and strategically placed sightlines, a warm color palette, and organic wall forms ignite curiosity and inspire discovery. Read more about the world-class museum where visitors can put one foot in nature, while keeping the other in an urban setting, here.