Kaiser Permanente named both Aditazz and Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch with Perkins+Will as winners in its international design competition. As winners, the teams are eligible to contract with Kaiser Permanente for a small hospital project. (See their designs here: http://design.kpnfs.com/index.html)
The Aditazz and M+NLB/ Perkins+Will teams were selected after an 11-month evaluation process that concluded this week in Los Angeles when our three finalists presented their designs for a small, net-zero energy hospital to a design jury.
Their ideas include:
• civic spaces that blur the boundaries between the community and the traditional hospital setting;
• bringing nature inside with light-wells and rooms that are oriented around a large central courtyard, building on research that shows a positive correlation between exposure to nature and healing;
• moving beyond carbon neutrality to restore ecosystems and biodiversity, and improve the conditions for community health; and
• a unique tool that applies silicon-chip technology to the building and design process, enabling designers and frontline professionals to quickly explore an almost unlimited number of operational and space scenarios.
The Small Hospital, Big Idea design competition launched in February 2011, seeking ideas for a small hospital that provides a patient-centered healing environment with a near-zero energy impact on the environment while using the latest technology to improve quality and reduce costs. The competition generated widespread interest, with more than 108 design concepts submitted from around the world. After a rigorous evaluation process that narrowed the list to nine semifinalists, the design jury selected three finalists last May.
