The new Levinson Heart Hospital is CJW Medical Center’s newest campus addition. Providing state-of-the-art cardiovascular care, it serves to simplify circulation and wayfinding while redefining the medical campus’s image. The main lobby entrance offers a convenient connection to the parking garage and is a public point of reference for patients and visitors. Expansive glass views open the spacious lobby. A concierge-style reception area and cafa™ create an atmosphere reminiscent of a grand hotel.

The Heart Hospital’s five-level glass focal piece houses waiting rooms and associated public functions, as well as serving as an orienting element for patients and visitors traveling through the facility. A conference center is conveniently located between the existing building and the parking garage, for easy access to staff and community education classrooms.

Project category: New construction & Remodel/Renovation (completed May 2003)

Chief administrator: Margaret Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, (804) 323-8804

Firm: Gresham, Smith, and Partners, (615) 770-8100

Design team: Kenneth Priest, Principal-in-Charge; Jim Major, Project Manager; Paul Braun, Project Manager; Julia Rayfield, Interior Designer; Stephen Halsey, Project Architect

Photography: © Joseph Lapeyra Photography

Total building area (sq. ft.): 150,000 (new); 65,000 (renovation)

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $243 (new); $134 (renovation)

Total cost (excluding land): $36,500,000 (new); $8,700,000 (renovation)

Essential components within the Levinson Heart Hospital include a dedicated cardiovascular surgery suite with four cardiovascular operating rooms; a 6-bed pre-op and 10-bed recovery suite; a 12-bed cardio surgical ICU; eight step-down patient rooms; a new catheterization-lab prep and recovery suite; and physician office space.

Design considerations included unique space, flooring, and electrical requirements to accommodate the weight and dimensions of the DaVinci Robotics installed in the operating rooms. Storz OR1 equipment, a system that connects all four cardiovascular operating rooms through a voice-activated communication system that includes cameras and plasma screens, is one example of the many special technologic features. Additional conduits are available to accommodate all electrical requirements of the Storz system as additional communication points are connected to the main system.