CHI Franciscan Health, St. Anthony Hospital

Gig Harbor, Washington

285,000sf Greenfield Hospital
August 2009
ZGF Architects LLP
Lead Interior Designer

Awards

Best Acute Care Facility, Healthcare Environments Award, Contract Magazine, 2009
Best of Health Merit Award, Interior Design Magazine, 2009
Built Design Award, Honorable Mention, Modern Healthcare, 2010

The concept for this project borrows themes from the Robert Frost poem “A Walk in the Woods”, recounting the intuitive spiritual bond we have with the scale, rhythm and sense of discovery we find in the natural world. We count on the natural world to reset our internal dialog, to remind us of our place in a larger community and reassure us of intrinsic place in it. Spaces within St. Anthony Hospital are designed to evoke qualities of space, light and texture found on a walk through the woods. Sculpted or dappled light, open or cave-like, textural or visually quiet, spaces are reflective of the biophilic qualities best suited for the space and it’s intended use. Natural light is used as an intuitive cue to wayfinding throughout with views of the surrounding woods and connection to a large garden with meandering paths and stream designed for staff, patients and visitors alike. Placemaking includes hollows and perch spots bathed in the warmth of the sun and supplemented with a thoughtfully curated collection of local and native art and artifacts reflecting the ethos of the region and it’s maritime history.