The second phase in Novant Health’s (Winston-Salem, N.C.) comprehensive capital investment at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., the new critical care tower will increase capacity and streamline patient care with additional square footage and efficient floor plans.
Gresham Smith (Charlotte, N.C.) and McMillan Pazdan Smith (Charlotte) are approaching the design as an integrated team.
The exterior of the five-story, 193,480-square-foot tower will complement the hospital’s exterior with brick and glass and metal panels, while a redesigned patient drop-off and pick-up area will increase convenience and accessibility. Inside the entrance, the main lobby will welcome patients with floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the waiting area with natural light, while the furniture and finishes will take cues from the local community’s gardens and parks via imagery on large-scale wall graphics and the color and texture of tile.
The tower’s first floor will house the surgical suite, with expanded pre- and postoperative space that reduces travel distances between the new operating rooms and support spaces. The second, third, and fourth floors will house a combined 36 medical-surgical beds and 60 critical care beds. The standardized patient rooms will be larger than existing rooms to offer additional privacy while also providing flexibility for the future, enabling the rooms to be converted to intensive care or isolation rooms to handle more complex care.
A centralized nurses’ station on each patient floor will create operational efficiencies, while smaller decentralized work niches outside patient rooms will enhance patient care and support increased bedside nursing time.
Completion is slated for late 2024.
Project details:
Facility name: Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Critical Care Tower
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Expected completion date: Fall 2024
Owner: Novant Health
Total building area: 193,480 sq. ft.
Total construction cost: N/A
Architect: Gresham Smith, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
Interior designer: Gresham Smith
General contractor: Vannoy construction
Engineer: BR+A/ Dewberry Engineers (MEP), Stimmel Associates (civil), Fitzpatrick Engineering (structural)
