Design Criteria: Design an expansion to the existing Emergency Department at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital for walk-in, ambulatory patients.

Designed primarily for walk-in emergency care we wanted this extension to have a grounded, warm, and light feeling. Inspired by old growth forests, we utilized a palette of deep greens and wood tones meant to invoke stability and a surrounding comfort. While bright yellows are used to highlight important landmarks, such as check-in desks and nurse’s stations, much like a beam of sunlight through a forest would. The registration and waiting areas are intended to allow patients and visitors to create a sense of privacy for themselves while also allowing visibility of all areas. Utilizing the furthest portion of the waiting area as a marketplace (equipped with modern food and drink cooler vending) and a small café instead of a traditional vending machine room gives family members, who may be waiting for an extended time, a variety of seating options and freedom to move about while not straying far from the emergency department entrance. The design also provides two triage rooms with a secondary triage waiting area, two isolation exam rooms, two mental health exam suites, twenty standard exam rooms, and six nurses’ stations with access to medication cabinets, equipment, clean, and soiled rooms. A large staff break area provides employees with a full kitchen, staff only restrooms with changing rooms and lockers, and three resting pods. We placed focus on designing for the needs of not only the patients, but also for the care providers and patient’s families. Through this we hope to have created spaces that foster health, healing, and wellbeing.

Primary scope of responsibility: Entrance, Reception and Security, Registration, Waiting Area, Marketplace, Children’s Play Space, Triage Rooms, and Secondary Triage Waiting Area.