In order to further their mission and respond to the demands of a growing community, Jersey Shore University wanted to expand. Additional inpatient beds, more outpatient services, and improvement in access and circulation within the campus needed to be considered. In 2004 Jersey Shore University Medical Center started the search for an architect and selected WHR Architects to help the organization create a better healing environment for patients and families and a healthy place for the JSUMC team to practice their profession.
The existing master plan was updated to reflect the hospitals needs through 2012, laying the groundwork for current and future expansions. The Jersey Shore University Medical Center 300 million expansion project The Transformation Project includes a new parking garage, new medical buildings, and many renovations to the existing hospital to coordinate with the Campus Master Plan. The Transformation Project new additions amount to approximately 400,000 sq.ft. including:
– 120,000 sq.ft. four-level Diagnostics and Treatment Building
– 216,000 sq.ft. Patient Tower
– 20,000 sq.ft. Central Utility Plant
– Multi-level parking garage designed to support approximately 970 vehicle spaces and a new heli-stop
– Public areas and circulation space including an East-West concourse main entrance, an Atrium space, and a North-South spine/corridor connecting the new Tower to the existing hospital
– Redesigned loop road and surface parking to support approximately 750 surface parking spaces
The two tower additions include a trauma center, three 36-bed adult medical surgical units, an emergency department, operating rooms, intensive care units, and a dietary. Other renovations include an expansion of outpatient services, lab services, NICU, pediatric, OB beds, and cardiac catheterization labs.
To facilitate healing, JSUMC was committed to providing a healthy and sustainable environment. The new design dramatically expands the hospitals capacity, capability and healing efficacy while creating a strong connection to nature. JSUMC created a community campaign and a refreshed identity, based partially on their new buildings design. The major changes and additions to the campus are the first step in the hospitals five- year expansion program Transforming Care: The New Jersey Shore This project was also designated a Pebble Project, a partnership between The Center for Health Design and health care organizations throughout the US. The goal is to examine and document the effects of evidence-based design on quality of care. WHR and JSUMC proceeded through the design phase utilizing an Evidence-Based Design process. This process helped inform decision making to achieve the best possible outcomes by drawing on current best evidence from research and practices. As part of the design WHR naturally implemented various sustainable strategies into the project. The potential to pursue formal LEED certification was not discussed until after the initial planning phase was complete. The design and construction team worked with The Sheward Partnership to perform a cost analysis of what it would take to earn LEED certification. The analysis indicated that for less than 1/2 of the project cost, the project could be close to a Silver level. A few modifications were made to the design and the team committed to pursuing LEED certification. The project has been awarded LEED Gold Certification under LEED for New Construction version 2.2 Rating System.
The Jersey Shore University Medical Center represents a great case-study of a successful amalgamation and execution of the Evidence-based Design and Sustainable Design practices. Jersey Shores The Transformation is inclusive of strategies, which are holistic in representation. They range from high performance strategies aimed at energy efficiency to providing healthy indoor environments for occupants. The project site, located on a former landfill, is classified as a Brownfield. Pre-construction reclamation included a methane recovery system, which captures and dissipates methane under the buildings footprint. As a community epicenter, the site is connected by public transportation and promotes personal health through provisions for bike riders such as storage and showers. Site lighting was designed to be unobtrusive to neighboring communities. Building materials are sustainably sourced. Strategic life cycle decisions included proper solar orientation, 30 reduction of potable water usage, high performance building skin and metering for building calibration. Most notably, the hospital invested in two gas-fired co-generation units. The design is 32 more efficient than ASHRAE 90.1. Indoor environmental quality is of paramount importance in the design. 100 outdoor air is used. Natural light is observed throughout and the planning model for nursing neighborhoods allows abundant natural light deep into the core of the communities of care.