A FUTURE GLIMPSE Renderings provided by Perkins+Will showcase what the exterior, rooftop and stair space will look like once space is built. Healthcare Redefined Perkins+Will helps Kaiser Permanente create new vision BY MEREDITH HAYES GORDON IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE FACILITY DESIGN TO SHAPE and articulate a business model? Can design formulate and articulate a business strategy? Certainly there are successful examples from the corporate community such as Boeing, but what about a more change-resistant industry like health care? An industry entrenched in standard practices and protocols would surely have a difficult time allowing design to be the catalyst for change. One health care organization did just that. This organization was so convinced that architecture could drive change that they invested heavily in time, dollars and public exposure to prove the market otherwise. Kaiser Permanente, a large nonprofit health plan and care provider, understood that they needed new thinking to continue their success in health care. Kaiser has mastered the art of providing health care to millions in multiple venues, but with the recent volatility in the health care industry, what was working up to that point was not going to be enough. Kaiser was convinced that architecture could drive innovation, provided the conceptualization of the bricks and mortar would shape and define the processes of driving their business, embody and support the culture that their mission and values articulate and become the visible manifestation of their brand. MINNESOTA BUSINESS July 2012 Architecture as a change agent an interesting concept. Kaiser was committed to the re-conceptualization of their entire delivery model for the community hospital. To begin rethinking what health care is, could and should be, they turned to design for a new definition. In the spring of 2011, the organization launched a year-long design competition. Participants were challenged to imagine a small-scale, forwardthinking health care facility that would combine the best of facility design, sustainability and modern technology. After reviewing more than 100 design concepts from architects, design firms, students, health care companies and engineering and construction firms, they narrowed the pool to three finalists. Each finalist was given resources and several months to further develop their concepts. When the winner of the competition was finally announced, the team at Perkins+Will/M+NLB came out on top with a design that went far beyond expectations of what a small hospital could be. leaders in sustainable health care design, we are thrilled to play a role in designing and bringing to fruition a medical facility that will serve as a benchmark for the future of health said Rick Hintz, principal in the Minneapolis office of Perkins+Will, which worked closely with the New York office on the winning design. were incredibly proud to be among the three