The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center connects with nature to provide a nurturing healthcare environment for Native Americans living in southeastern Oklahoma.  The architecture maximizes access and views to the pristine, 230-acre site while inviting daylight into the buildings.  Patient units are directly oriented to the creek and trees, with traditional hospital “front” and “back” elements tucked to the side.  Chickasaw art and culture, which emphasizes giving and sharing with extended family, influences the massing and building forms.  A large “Town Center” gathering space is at the heart of the facility, adjacent to food services. Faceted facades and terrazzo floor patterns echo traditional Chickasaw neckwear.  Oklahoma stone and unfinished copper panels are among the natural building materials assembled to take on an organized yet organic aspect.  The medical center encompasses a 216,000 square foot hospital and a 142,000 square foot clinic.

The expansion of Seton Medical Center creates a new “front door” image for a dated 1970s hospital, adding a day surgery, entry and chapel. Glass and light provide a sense of precision and technological sophistication alongside a certain softness and elusiveness–appropriate for a building where modern medicine deals with both scientific exactness and human frailty. A long volume faced with translucent glass is strung along the north face, drawing soft light into recovery rooms without sacrificing visual privacy. At night, the glass volume is lit from within, lending a safe, glowing presence. A similar glass vocabulary gives the entry a sense of penetrability, also connecting the chapel with the garden.

Two new signature pediatric facilities in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley reinforce the Driscoll Children’s Hospital brand while embracing the culture of their communities.  Each features a colorful, porch element that is easy to identify and open to the street.  The main circulation system extends the inviting facade with waiting areas and playscapes for children.    Clinical zones are organized in modular pods, with carefully designed “universal” examination rooms and centralized physician workrooms.  The design allows for easy building expansion, both horizontal and vertical.  Elements developed here will appear at the DCH main campus, reinforcing the notion of a healthcare provider in multiple locations.