A walk in the woods

March 31, 2011 by Todd Hutlock, Editor-in-Chief
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Franciscan Health System, near Tacoma, Wash. A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods A walk in the woods

Project Summary

 

Completion Date: March 2009

Owner: Franciscan Health System

Architecture and Interior Design: ZGF Architects LLP

Owner's Representative: Hammes Co.

General Contracting: Sellen Construction

Mechanical Engineering: CDi Engineers

Electrical Engineering: Coffman Engineers

Structural Engineering: PCS Structural Solutions

Civil Engineering: DOWL Engineers

Landscaping: SiteWorkshop

Medical Equipment Planning: ZGF Architects/Catholic Health Initiatives

Photography: © Doug J. Scott

Total Building Area (sq. ft.): 256,000

Total Construction Cost: $95 million

Construction Cost/Sq. Ft.: $270

The South Sound region near Tacoma, Washington, was one of the largest population centers in the state without a central community hospital, and Franciscan Health System decided that more than 3,500 emergencies and 4,000 patients requiring overnight care who had to travel away from the area annually was simply too much. With the establishment of the 80-bed, 256,000-square-foot St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, the area is now served by a state-of-the-art new facility that is informed by the community's sensibilities and rich history, as well as the beautiful natural landscape, framed and inspired by the surrounding trees and water. HEALTHCARE DESIGN Editor-in-Chief Todd Hutlock spoke with Design Partner Allyn Stellmacher, AIA, LEED AP, and Interior Designer Anita Rossen of ZGF Architects' Seattle office about this multiple award-winning project.

Origins, vision, and siting

Allyn Stellmacher, AIA, LEED AP: Franciscan Health System (FHS) is part of the Catholic Health Initiatives group, and it has a strong foundation in the Tacoma area; Gig Harbor is about 10 or 12 miles outside of the city. There was only one congested bridge that connected Gig Harbor-which is on a peninsula-to medical care 12 miles to the south in Tacoma. Traffic on the bridge was very difficult, complicating emergency services, and leaving the growing city of Gig Harbor as one of the largest medically underserved communities in the state of Washington.
 

FHS recognized that this was a true community hospital it was building, and the goals were rooted around that idea-to build an outstanding hospital that represented the aspirations and nature of the Gig Harbor community. FHS established a list of guiding principles, and we tried to ensure that the building lived up to those principles.

We started the project with an unusual piece of real estate. As you can imagine, between the topography, water, and hills, some of the larger, choice pieces of land had long since vanished from the area. A large part of our goal with the hospital was to respond to the natural attributes of the site. There is a substantial change in grade across the site, close to 100 feet, as well as wetlands, a stream, and a large overhead power line. A large portion of the site was forested, as well. The accomodation of things like parking, future development and growth, and even access to the site were challenges.

 

Anita Rossen: Gig Harbor has a very rich and deep history in fishing and boat building; they are definitely connected to the water. It isn't exactly rural, but it is on a peninsula and is a densely wooded area. The client wanted the design to blend with these particular surroundings, not necessarily what they might build in Tacoma. We wanted to respond to the trees and the woods, as well as the maritime history of the city. St. Anthony is the patron saint of sailors and fisherman, and the name of the hospital was specifically chosen to reflect this rich maritime tradition. The exterior, landscape, and interiors teams worked closely to achieve this.

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