2017 Healthcare Design Awards

Mercy Virtual Care Center

Architect: Forum Studio

Location: Chesterfield, Missouri

Category B: Built, More than $25 million in construction cost

www.forumstudio.com

The Virtual Care Center exemplifies this Catholic health system’s bold commitment to the future of healthcare. This first-of-its-kind facility advances Mercy’s mission of transformative care while dramatically improving outcomes through population management. The design blends the built with nature through an authentic use of materials and space. A palette of stone, glass, precast and wood coupled with flexible floor plates create an environment that fosters innovation, collaboration and patient centric care. The Virtual Care Center, the genesis of a national consortium of virtual providers, pioneers a new model of care.

Jury

Gregory Wieland, AIA (Chair) Altus Studios, Omaha

Tama Duffy Day, Gensler, Washington, DC

Rick del Monte, FAIA, BeckGroup, Dallas

Robin Guenther, FAIA, Perkins+Will, New York

John Kouletsis, AIA, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc., San Francisco

Joan L. Suchomel, AIA, Eckenhoff Saunders Architects, Chicago

Stephen Yablon, AIA, Stephen Yablon Architecture, New York

Jury comments

This project is a non-traditional “healthcare” project, in that it houses no patients, but connects to them through technology. It is an outstanding example of how the caregiver can be cared for. We can imagine, driving up to this workplace, that a staff member would be reminded how much the organization cares for her or him. This project recognizes the humanity of the healthcare worker – that they don’t just represent a technological interface.

The design parti is skillfully carried throughout the entire project, down to the detailing; this is evident in the beautiful sketches and well-framed imagery. The integrated terraces providing direct access to nature, with the cantilevered terrace particularly striking. The environment provides the opportunity to be calm and thoughtful, using sensory stimuli to help one stay balanced.

The jury’s key thought for this project: The future of healthcare is here.

Image credits