By Andrew Flanigan, Senior Planner/Designer with Devenney Group

Hello, my name is Andrew Flanigan, Senior Planner/Designer with Devenney Group. We are the architectural firm commissioned to design the new Sutter Medical Center in Castro Valley. My role with the project is lead project designer, and right now I’m working with the team to help get the plans ready for approval by all authorities, from state to county to municipal regulatory boards, so we can begin construction. I wanted to first give you a glimpse of what the new medical center is going to look like.

The new replacement hospital will be an iconic building that reflects modern technology and the latest standards in healthcare. Because it will be built on the same hill as Eden Medical Center, the new hospital will be the focal point of the surrounding area. Through the design on which the project team had input, we reduced the scale of the building by integrating it with the hillside, and by creating a horizontal feel to the architecture.

The hospital bed tower, which will be seven stories high, will be the most prominent element of the campus. Through extensive shadow and massing studies, the current design reflects the most efficient form and orientation to minimize impacts on our surrounding neighbors.

Other design features were incorporated to enhance the site as well as screen back of house functions from the neighborhood, such as where trucks unload supplies. These outdoor features consist of a living wall, a fully landscaped visual and noise buffer, as well as outdoor gathering spaces.

The outdoor gardens will be available for patients, visitors, doctors, hospital staff and also the community. The latest sustainable landscaping techniques will be used throughout the campus. The main outdoor gathering space will be located on the lower level just outside the cafeteria, and allows for outdoor dining, rest and contemplation. The design also incorporates several more intimate outdoor spaces throughout the site.

The exterior of the building provides a light and airy feel with the use of natural and long lasting earth toned materials as well as different color glass to add vibrancy to the tower element. The high efficiency tinted glazing enables us to maximize windows in all patient rooms to enhance the healing environment.

The new medical office building, which will be four stories high, is designed to complement the new hospital in form and function. The hospital and medical office building are connected on four stories using open walkways so patients, physicians and staff can easily move between the two buildings.

Whether it is a routine clinic visit or a scheduled major surgery, the campus becomes a one-stop-shop for all medical needs; a healthcare destination for the community. Please see our Photo Gallery for more illustrations of the new medical center, plus we’ll be adding new ones, so keep visiting here. You may want to subscribe to this blog for regular updates.

I am very excited to be sharing this first glimpse of the building with you. Please don’t hesitate to contact me by leaving a comment here, with your questions or feedback, in our effort to make the design better!