Increased public visibility and long-term growth were the objectives for Ingalls Health System’s new 80,000-sq.-ft., two-story Family Care Center in Flossmoor, Illinois. The building, parking, landscaping, and pond are integrated into the rolling topography of the 16-acre campus and are arranged for future expansion.

The pond, native landscaping, and the rich palette of Kasota stone, multihued brick, and patterned glass make the building come alive at night, when the change in transparency punctuates the warm interior atmosphere with apostrophes of color. During the day a brocade of shadows fills the space.

In many ways, the curved, two-story lobby is modeled after a typical Main Street, with departmental waiting areas and visitor amenities along its perimeter functioning as “storefronts” for the clinical spaces beyond. Above are physicians’ offices, which overlook the lobby for patient orientation. Finally, the 24-hour Urgent Care Center has a dedicated entry adjacent to the main vestibule, allowing easy recognition without compromising security.


Project category: New construction (completed October 2005)

Chief administrator: Kurt Johnson, President & CEO, (708) 333-2300

Firm: Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, (312) 786-1204

Design team: Walter L. Eckenhoff, AIA, ACHA, Project Principal; Jeffrey N. Conner, AIA, Project Architect; Michael A. Vinci, AIA, Healthcare Design Specialist (Eckenhoff Saunders Architects); Electrical Engineer, Dickerson Engineering; MP/FP, Robert G. Burkhardt & Associates; Associate Architect, William E. Brazley & Associates, Ltd.

Photography: Mariusz Mizera

Total building area (sq. ft.): 85,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $187

Total construction cost (excluding land): $15,900,000

Flexible public areas, accessibility, and adaptable meeting spaces have made Ingalls a location of choice for conferences, community gatherings, receptions, and seminars. The overwhelming success of the project has attracted many new physician groups to the healthcare system. Ingalls has been listed by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s top hospitals since 2002.