Gresham Smith–Designed Healthcare Project and Staff Honored with Awards from AIA Middle Tennessee
Gresham Smith is proud to announce that at the 2022 Middle Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Awards, Healthcare Senior Vice President James Bearden received the Lifetime Achievement Award, and the firm’s design for the Kaiser Permanente’s Lutherville-Timonium Medical Center was honored with the Award of Excellence in Sustainable Design.
“As architects, we play a vital role in understanding the needs of our client and our community, and translating those into the creation of the built environment,” said Healthcare Studio Leader and Vice President Brent Hughes, AIA, EDAC, NCARB, LEED AP. “The innovative and sustainable design strategies used for the Kaiser Permanente Lutherville – Timonium Medical Center will contribute to the overall success of the patient journey, while simultaneously contributing to a healthy environment. I am also thrilled that James has been recognized for his 46 years of contributions to the architecture industry—he is truly deserving of this award.”
The L-shaped medical center is located in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, and includes more than 10 specialty clinics throughout 225,000-square-feet. A rust-colored steel wrap represents the city’s industrial history, while vast expanses of glass and vertical fins reference its technology-fueled future. The adjacent parking garage is draped in a wire mesh that complements the office center, and a glass and perforated metal drop-off canopy connects the two structures with an airy feel.
With significant heat gain expected on the southern and western sides of the building, glass fritting and vertical fins were used to control glare and solar radiation. Additionally, green roofs and 40,000-square-feet of solar panels on the roof of the parking garage generate renewable energy and reduce the urban heat island effect. The medical center is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification and is expected to save $1 million in energy costs over 30 years.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the built environment and the profession of architecture in Tennessee. Throughout his career, James led Gresham Smith to becoming the nation’s first “advocate firm,” for the Evidence-Based Design Accreditation Certification program (EDAC), has been actively engaged on a national level with the AIA Large Firm roundtable, received numerous merit, honor, sustainability and design awards from AIA Middle Tennessee for his work and much more.
The building also received a design award from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Tennessee Chapter.