Abbott Northwestern Hospital Surgical and Critical Care Facility in Minneapolis
As part of a campus improvement plan over ten years, Abbott Northwestern Hospital will build a new surgical and critical-care facility in Minneapolis that will include 192 new beds. It will also feature 30 new operating suites, 22 new interventions suites and more than 500 000 square feet in new construction.
The project will improve essential services and reimagine the hospital campus. It will also regenerate the infrastructure.
HGA is leading the planning and design including lean programming/operations, sustainability, evidence-based design and full engineering.
The project should be completed by 2026.
Site planning for a hospital campus
The Founder’s Mall, an outdoor central courtyard used for relaxing and gathering, will be transformed into a welcoming garden as part of the design. This project is aimed at transforming a hidden complex in the community.
Currently, most buildings are facing inwards with only one street access (into the Founders Mall and the area around it). The new entrances will break down the barriers caused by the existing buildings.
The new building will use a red unglazed terracotta facade to match the existing red brick buildings on campus. This design will carry on Abbott Northwestern’s tradition of using red clay while adding a modern aesthetic to the new façade.
A rooftop healing garden, with views of Minneapolis’ skyline, will be available to patients, their caregivers and staff as a place for respite.
The glass enclosed skyway will allow patients and their families to travel between all the buildings on campus.
Additional parking is planned for both staff and patients, as the new facility will replace an existing parking lot.
Interior design that focuses on healthy materials and calm interior design
The hospital leadership asked that the unit and patient room plans be built using a prefabricated system, so they could adapt to changing needs.
Interior finishes will be PVC-free and feature naturally sustainable flooring.
The palette will be warm and timeless, with light woods, off-white wall finishes and floor finishes, as well as lighter finishes. The design solution will incorporate pattern, texture and pops colors to support branding and enhance wayfinding.
There are also plans for new access roads that will improve access to the emergency department, an underground network with loading docks and tunnels and corridors and a public artwork installation to welcome patients and families in the parking lot of emergency department.
