The second phase of the new Castle Rock Adventist hospital opened in Castle Rock, Colo., in early August. The four-story, 219,000-sq-ft building reflects the hospital’s holistic, whole-person approach to health care and wellness.
It was planned with evidence-based architectural details. Evidence-based health-care design recognizes the importance in the healing process of patient safety, patient outcomes, the staff environment, infection control, noise attenuation, daylight, views of nature, art and gardens.
Castle Rock Adventist is the first hospital designed by HuntonBrady Architects to open outside the firm’s home state of Florida, and the second stage in a multi-phased health campus developed by Centura Health in Castle Rock. It was built by GE Johnson Construction, Colorado Springs and Denver.
Owner Centura Health, Colorado’s largest health-care system, sought a 20-year master plan to accommodate growth to 250 beds. It was also planned to be a community epicenter and landmark, embody the soul and spirit of its site and context and promote community wellness and health.
A 26,000-sq-ft emergency department and imaging center, which opened in 2012 as the first phase of the health campus, addressed the most-needed services for the community. Phase 2 of the hospital opened this summer with 50 patient beds and a separate medical office building.
The hospital sits on a prominent site on a ridge visible from Interstate 25, with sweeping views of the Rocky Mountain ranges. The public face of the building is a dramatic four-story lobby, washed with natural light. The integration of natural light and art creates unique spaces and an ecology that enhances health and wellness.
HuntonBrady designed both the emergency department and hospital in a modern interpretation of Rocky Mountain architecture and oriented it to take advantage of the mountain views.
“This particular site demanded a strong architectural statement,” said Paul Macheske, health-care design practice leader for HuntonBrady. “The use of local materials, including stone and wood, and the incorporation of true modern materials such as glass and steel makes this building one that recognizes the soul and spirit of the site.”
A great amount of thought and testing went into design of the building’s public circulation and the flow of materials, staff and patients. Separation of the two groups resulted in development of a public concourse, grand entry, vertical circulation and gathering spaces. A secondary “back of house” circulation system connects the service entry and elevators so that food and supplies move quickly to their destination. Patients are transported to the emergency department, imaging, surgery and bed units with little intrusion into public spaces.
Hospital grounds feature a community “Garden of Eatin’,” where members of the community can rent one of 90 plots and congregate in a holistic, healing environment to grow nutritious foods. Instead of a cafeteria, the hospital created Manna Restaurant, a full-service modern dining room with wait staff and outdoor spots where guests can watch their meal prepared to order. Meals feature vegetables and herbs from the community garden in a seasonal, rotating menu.
“The Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus intentionally integrates wellness, education, and community into the facility design….from the on-site community garden to having the best hospital chef in the nation at the helm of Manna, the hospital’s full service restaurant," says Justin D. Cooper, vice president, GE Johnson Construction. "The five star interior décor, iPad stations and floor-to-ceiling mountain views in the patient rooms are truly raising the bar for health and wellness care in the Denver metro region.”
“Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus has become a distinct landmark along the Interstate 25 corridor, an urban reference for the town of Castle Rock and a very important contribution from Centura Adventist Health System to the life of Douglas County,” said HuntonBrady project architect Aurelio Posada.
