Originally built in 1926, Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital started out as a tuberculosis sanatorium designed to handle the rising number of TB cases in the city. With the hospital’s rich history of providing therapeutic care for individuals with physical disabilities very much in mind, Lakeshore Foundation requested that their new inpatient bed tower addition seamlessly integrate with the circa 1920s building. Gresham Smith’s design delivers on the client’s vision by providing a three-story addition that aesthetically complements the existing historic building while serving as a new face for the campus and a rebranding of Encompass Health.
3
story addition
20.5k
square feet
28
private patient rooms
Modern Yet Timeless
We designed the new entry lobby so it is incorporated into the existing main entrance. We used a materials palette cohesive with the original hospital building, including detailing and matching stonework in the columns. The modern canopy and window projections give the facade a contemporary feel.
Prioritizing Privacy
The 20,500-square-foot bed tower’s second and third floors house 28 all-private patient rooms. Fostering a close connection to nature, each room is outfitted with a large window that provides patients and family members with optimal views of the site’s most scenic surroundings.
Traversing the Campus
A driving goal for the project was making the facility both ADA compliant and accessible, while also providing an accessible path that traversed the campus from north to south. Although challenged by the site’s wooded and hilly terrain, our design creatively incorporates an accessible path that starts at the parking area, continues through the main lobby and hospital, and connects to the north end of the campus walkway and to the Lakeshore Foundation building.
A Paralleled Experience
We designed the building’s circulatory walkways to include adjacent entry and exits points to keep visitors’ paths throughout the facility paralleled—whether they be able-bodied, going through recovery or just needing a little extra assistance. The extensive use of glazing creates a welcoming environment with a strong relationship to the exterior.
Improving Rehabilitation Outcomes
As the original interior courtyard wasn’t being utilized for patients, we incorporated two new therapy courtyards into the design to reintroduce an environment of healing into the facility. Comprised of ramps and varying surfaces, the courtyards have become a part of the hospital’s rehabilitation program.
A Nook with a View
Framed vistas with seating nooks are strategically placed at the ends of long corridors to creatively extend the interior of the building into the surrounding exterior. This allows patients, staff and family members to feel at one with the picturesque treescapes.
Promoting an Inclusive Environment
Greatly enhancing the patient-care experience, the new bed tower addition at Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation Hospital promotes an atmosphere of wellness in an inclusive environment, while paying homage to the campus’ unique historical context.Gallery
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