On Oct. 26, 2018, MVHS revealed the exterior design of its new, 373-bed, 672,000-square-foot hospital that will be the center of the integrated healthcare campus in downtown Utica.
In collaboration with the MVHS outreach team, NBBJ has been leading the design of the new, regional healthcare campus since May 2017. Together with MVHS leaders, they have engaged more than 2,000 individuals throughout the community to obtain feedback and guidance regarding the design of the new hospital and its integration with the surrounding downtown area. The team also met with workgroups from many different departments within the health system in order to ensure the needs of the staff are properly met as they care for patients.
“The guiding principles that came out of the community meetings were extremely important in the design process of the new hospital,” said Ryan J. Hullinger, AIA, NCARB, partner with NBBJ. “The principles related to the design and look of the building asked us to consider the historic nature of the buildings around the new hospital as well as both old and new aspects of Utica’s architecture. Using that feedback, our goal for the design was to create an exterior expression that respects the rich history of Utica and complements the surrounding neighborhoods, while projecting a sense of clinical excellence through rigorous detailing and craftsmanship. This design works to embody both Utica’s past and its future.”
Interior architecture meetings between NBBJ and MVHS providers and staff continue with a focus on the design and layout of the various rooms in the new hospital. Mock-rooms have been constructed at the MVHS New Hartford Medical Office – Crossroads location and have been used extensively to test the designs and layouts to ensure they work flawlessly in real-life situations. These are in addition to the cardboard rooms that were previously constructed and used at the MVHS Medical Arts building in New Hartford.
In addition to community and user input, the architects conducted extensive research of the community character to design an exterior expression that respects the rich history of Utica and complements the surrounding neighborhoods, while projecting a sense of clinical excellence through rigorous detailing and craftsmanship. Research and analysis included:
Community context studies reviewing the existing uses of various building materials and architectural influences
Character studies examining local historical and contemporary building features.
Contextual scale with the surrounding structures and the City’s skyline
Careful materials selection to achieve cohesive integration.
