New Medical Building Provides Care in Hospitality-Inspired Setting

Construction on the 90,000-square-foot, 4-story addition to the Sentara BelleHarbour campus in Suffolk, Virginia is complete. The new building connects to and complements the existing 3-story, 75,000-square-foot facility. It houses the emergency department registration, check-in and triage for the original building, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, support services and shell space.

The hospitality-inspired registration area intends to advance patient safety and efficiency by allowing a nurse and registrar to assess a patient’s condition at the same time as they are checking in. This streamlines the triage process and reduces the number of times patients must provide health information.

To help establish the campus as a community focal point, as well as advance wellness, the team designed a monumental stairwell with 4-story graphic and large-scale light fixtures. Visible even from the building’s exterior, this active stair aims to encourage activity among staff and visitors, as well helps draw in and orient visitors. The design also incorporates strategies for energy, water and waste reduction and used durable, recycled or recyclable low-emitting materials.

Operating and procedure rooms, PACU and recovery spaces were designed with efficiency and adaptability in mind and can flex for future expansion. The project also includes a FAA-approved helipad; a second phase, expected to be completed soon, will renovate the first floor of the original building.

GreshamSmith provided architecture, interior design, structural engineering, civil engineering and landscape architecture services for the project. Hourigan served as general contractor.