BCRA Design

As an opportunity to share our vision of the future of acute health care, BCRA responded to a worldwide design competition for Kaiser Permanente. Within a time frame of less than two months, a dedicated team worked diligently and came together to collaborate on the possibilities the project could entail.

The hospital design set forth specific requirements and aims, including:

• Estimated 50 – 60 beds
• 50-acre flat site
• The program had to be scalable and adjustable for any site
• The functions in the building could not change
• Near net zero

With the understanding that hospital services get small and that community services can combine to present a campus-approach, BCRA set forth to design “world class healthcare, right at your doorsteps.” Focused on integration, this design strengthens our environment, embraces the self and encourages communities to thrive.

The model challenges the design philosophies of today’s modern hospitals. It starts with the perspective of patients and layers new principles of asset efficiency, patient flow and centralized care to ensure affordable solutions. It challenges traditional form by "opening the box" to community and embracing the positive benefits of nature by creating a heart and soul. 

Traditional form:

• Box-like and institutional
• Intimidating and unmoving
• Promotes growth of more boxes
• Exclusive and shielded

Open form:

• Introduces more light and air for all
• Reaches outward
• Promotes connection ‘spines’
• Creates a central heart

New form: 

• Creates natural entrances
• Embraces complementary and preventive services
• Promotes dynamic usage
• Encourages healing

The five-floor design expands on proven benefits of in-patient and specialty care adjacencies. At the core, this lean design maintains the operational conditions required to keep the cost of care low by eliminating redundancies and unused spaces. This program also supports robust asset management, while removing a patient and family’s fear of entering a traditional hospital “fortress.” 

“Designing the experience means designing the quality of care. “ – Mary Valmonte, BCRA