University of Virginia Health System Project Wins Interior Architecture, Design Award

The University of Virginia Health System’s new emergency department and inpatient bed tower, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been named a winning project in International Interior Design Association’s 2021 Interior Design Competition. The awards honor achievement in outstanding interior architecture and design that encourages and uses innovative interior design ideas, techniques and furnishings. The project was honored in the Healthcare (hospitals, outpatient clinics, medical facilities) category.

The new ED and inpatient bed tower offer an enhanced and more dignified experience for patients and staff. Designed by Perkins and Will and built by Skanska, the interior connects patients and staff to the calming effects of nature, reduces the building’s environmental impact, allows for greater flexibility in the way patients and staff use space and accommodates evolving medical technology and best practices.

A 28-foot-tall atrium with towering windows floods the space with natural light. Circular skylights spanning 12 feet in diameter, together with a constellation of recessed ceiling lights, lend a celestial feel to the space — as though one is looking up at a starry sky. A light-colored wood ceiling, juxtaposed with white floors and ceilings, creates a feeling of brightness and warmth. The 400,000-square-foot bed tower includes 168 private patient rooms — each of which was designed to offer a range of care options tailored to an individual patient’s needs.

Photos credit: Todd Mason.