NEW YORK, N.Y. — The new Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, designed by firm Perkins+Will, recently opened in East Norriton, Pa. Einstein Montgomery is a comprehensive, 21st-century healthcare facility dedicated to serving the vital needs of the community and celebrating the beauty of the surrounding natural landscape through a design strategy that integrates architectural, interior and medical planning. Gilbane Building Company served as general contractor on the project.
Sited adjacent to a 500-acre farm park, Einstein Montgomery is the result of Perkins+Will’s intensive collaboration with its client, the Einstein Healthcare Network, to bring a technologically advanced, full-service, acute-care hospital to the residents of central Montgomery County. The building — made up of 96 medical/surgical beds, a 22-bed intensive care unit, a 20-bed postpartum/antepartum unit, and an eight-bed neonatal intensive care unit, as well as a two-story medical arts building — creates a dynamic expression of medical excellence while offering a caring and welcoming environment. Adding to this, nearly 30 acres of open space was preserved to create a complementary pastoral setting. The project was completed on time and on budget through an accelerated approach that met the Federal Housing Administration’s mandated process and schedule for financing.
The new facility emerges organically from the natural landscape, featuring low, horizontal lines that rise into a dramatic, sculptural, light-colored form clad in precast concrete panels to resemble stone. A multi-story glass curtainwall distinguishes the main public entry, creating an oversize picture window with views of the neighboring Norristown Farm Park during the day, and a distinctive landmark for the hospital in the evening. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the curtainwall serves a high-performance functional purpose as well; the angled surface effectively limits external heat gain by controlling the amount of direct sunlight entering the building, and the gradated ceramic frit pattern on the glass reduces glare for visual comfort. Inside, a series of terraced balconies throughout the atrium, oriented toward the curtainwall, provide pleasant and convenient waiting areas for visitors with beautiful views to the farm park.
“Every effort was made to provide abundant access to daylight for patients, visitors and staff,” said Perkins+Will Interior Design Principal Carolyn BaRoss. “Patient rooms feature expansive windows that take advantage of views, and the colors, textures and materials were carefully selected to fashion comfortable, soothing and secure spaces.”
With nursing stations located just outside the patient rooms, the interior layout enhances staff efficiencies and workflow without compromising the patient experience. To achieve a balance between privacy and observation, individual rooms have interior windows, with blinds that can be opened and closed from both sides, which enable nurses to monitor patients through closed doors.
Families are envisioned as part of a collaborative care team. This is reinforced through the design of the patient rooms, with family areas outfitted with convertible sleeper sofas for relaxation and overnight stays, entertainment systems and access to room service meals. Patient rooms, corridors and other public spaces showcase art specifically selected for visual serenity and regional relevance.
In addition to the main hospital, Perkins+Will designed a 75,000-square-foot medical office building in a design-build partnership with Alter+Care. The office was conceived as a seamless extension of the overall facility, with contiguous internal circulation, a complementary architectural expression and a commitment to sustainability.
The new hospital has been designed to achieve LEED-Silver certification. Sustainable design and construction elements include native landscaping that does not require potable irrigation, optimized mechanical systems that reduce operational energy costs and building materials with high percentages of recycled content. The building will enable the hospital to demonstrate an environmental stewardship to its community, benefiting patients, staff and the local ecosystem.
