Surrounding Landscape Inspires Expansion, Renovation Design of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital

An extensive renovation has recently been completed at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, located in Richmond, Virginia, aimed at better serving the hospital’s women and children patients. Gresham, Smith and Partners served as architect on the project. The general contractor was Brasfield & Gorrie. The project design includes more than 60,000 square feet of renovated space and a 20,000-square-foot expansion, including a dedicated entrance and lobby, additional labor and delivery rooms and a state-of-the-art Level III neonatal intensive care unit. The consolidation of the NICU, relocation of postpartum rooms, conversion of the 4th floor into gynecology and new L&D rooms provide the additional capacity and operational efficiency needed to serve the community.

“The new two-story lobby provides views and daylighting through a glass exterior wall, creating a warmer environment. This enhanced, calming environment is important to the families, particularly NICU patients’ families, who spend extended time at the facility,” said S. Robert Hamby, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP, senior architect, Gresham, Smith and Partners. “In addition to an enhanced human experience, the expansion and renovation also provides operational efficiencies. A dedicated drop-off, entrance and lobby separated from general patient entry improve patient flow for the campus at large. A triage and recovery suite that supports the C-section rooms increases utilization and keeps delivery patients from having to wait in the emergency department.”

The new curved lobby with wood walls makes a contemporary, yet elegant statement, creating a strong identity for the women’s entrance. The unique geometry extends to the exterior. The facility was inspired by the surrounding landscape and leverages local stone on the exterior near the entrance and in the lobby to elicit a sense of place. The LDR rooms feature color-changing LED lights, which mimic the color temperature of light throughout the day. Occupants can adjust the color and color temperature.

GS&P previously provided master planning for the hospital, as well as other service lines including the design of the campus’ ED and Heart Center expansion.