The team behind the new Holyoke (Mass.) Health Center was aiming for more than the renovation of a single building—they were hoping to revive an entire community.
Holyoke's central business district was built in the 19th century as part of a planned industrial town, but over the years it had fallen into disrepair. Among the many empty storefronts and dilapidated buildings stood three that used to make up the McAuslan & Wakelin department store. Where most people saw broken glass and crumbling brick, the CEO of the Holyoke Health Center instead saw a medical mall—a new center of downtown activity and business where the city's large, underserved low-income community could find access to health care.
Boston's Steffian Bradley Architects (SBA) began work on reconstructing the 110,000-sf complex into a space where a wide variety of health organizations could come together under one roof. The facility would house a medical suite for specialists such as radiologists, physical therapists, and midwives. There would be a dental practice, patient education spaces, a teaching kitchen, health service enrollment centers, and a large central plaza to improve wayfinding. All told, planners expected the complex to serve 17,000 patients and create more than 350 new jobs.
A four-story glass atrium connects the health center’s three buildings (left). The balustrade on the Dwight Building, which sits on the corner, had to be matched to the originals to qualify for historic grants (right). PHOTO: ROBERT BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY |
The buildings first needed some work. The three structures, all built around the turn of the 20th century, were well-used over the years and little evidence of their original interior appearance remained. Some features, such as mosaic tile floors, polished marble stair treads, and wainscoting, were intact. But others, such as the buildings' decorative tin ceilings, were scarred from the addition of room partitions and mechanical runs.
Then, several months into the design process, the client discovered they would need federal historic restoration grants to complete the project—and that meant returning the buildings to their former glory. To accommodate this, SBA undertook forensics and historical research in order to document and re-create original architectural features. For instance, a balustrade that formed the roof cornice had been demolished prior to the decision to apply for federal funding. To rebuild it, SBA took a mold of a remaining baluster and used it to duplicate the originals.
Other federal requirements took more ingenuity to overcome. The grant stipulated that walls had to be re-plastered rather than covered with gypsum board. But with the prospect of strollers and wheelchairs banging into the walls every day, the team worried that standard plaster couldn't take the blows without crumbling. SBA solved the problem by using Xorel wallcovering, a durable polyethylene textile that softens hard knocks, allowing the plaster to hold its shape.
The project's pride and joy lies at its center, in the new glass atrium that links the three buildings and acts as a transparent interior main street. The atrium also makes the Holyoke Health Center MAAB/ADA compliant by ganging together the buildings' disparate grade levels through a series of stairs and ramps, as well as providing space for two new hospital elevators.
Opened in early 2006, the Holyoke Health Center has served several thousand patients and inspired the redevelopment of many surrounding properties—meeting its original goal of revitalizing the Holyoke community.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | May 19, 2023
A new behavioral health facility in California targets net zero energy
Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.
3D Printing | May 12, 2023
World’s first 3D-printed medical center completed
3D construction printing reached new heights this week as the world’s first 3D-printed medical center was completed in Thailand.
Sustainability | May 11, 2023
Let's build toward a circular economy
Eric Corey Freed, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesign, discusses the values of well-designed, regenerative buildings.
Digital Twin | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 27, 2023
BD+C's 2023 Design Innovation Report
Building Design+Construction’s Design Innovation Report presents projects, spaces, and initiatives—and the AEC professionals behind them—that push the boundaries of building design. This year, we feature four novel projects and one building science innovation.
Sustainability | Apr 20, 2023
13 trends, technologies, and strategies to expect in 2023
Biophilic design, microgrids, and decarbonization—these are three of the trends, technologies, and strategies IMEG’s market and service leaders believe are poised to have a growing impact on the built environment.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 17, 2023
UC Irvine takes sustainability to new level with all-electric medical center
The University of California at Irvine (UCI) has a track record for sustainability. Its under-construction UCI Medical Center is designed, positioned, and built to preserve the nearby San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, to reduce the facility’s solar gain by 85%, and to be the first medical center in the country to operate on an all-electric central plant.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2023
Healthcare construction costs for 2023
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2023
Urgent care facilities: Intentional design for mental and behavioral healthcare
The emergency department (ED) is the de-facto front door for behavior health crises, and yet these departments are understaffed, overwhelmed, and ill-equipped to navigate the layered complexities of highly demanding physical and behavioral health needs.