Location: Topeka, Kansas
Year Completed: 2009
Size: 115,000 SF
Awards and Publications: Design Cost Data Magazine – May/June 2010 Edition

HMN Architects partnered with Stormont Vail Health on their new, five-story emergency department and trauma addition. This addition refines the northern end of the campus and brings new levels of emergency treatment care to the community.

The new space is home to two, 21-bed intensive care unit floors with dialysis capability, new emergency and trauma units and staff and facility support functions.

Starting from the outside, the use of brick, limestone and glazing unify other key additions, while creating a unified modern look. A glass-roofed canopy creates an unmistakable entry for the department, while another large canopy allows for multiple ambulance arrivals in a covered area. Two new helipads crown the structure.

The dramatic increase in the department’s ability to handle a larger capacity of patients and provide a higher level of comfort is reflected inside. The key design element is the emergency department itself. Thirty-five critical and trauma treatment rooms ring a large central nurse station. The nurse station is raised and provides continuous, direct viewing into treatment rooms for staff. Separate alcoves within this raised area include smaller inner waiting rooms designed to relieve load on the level’s main waiting room at the building entry. Alcoves and spaces for equipment and carts ring the exterior of the nurse station to keep workflow unobstructed and clean. The large, new trauma rooms have the capability to handle multiple procedures and sits conveniently across from a new imaging space with X-Ray and CT scan capabilities.

The durable, new emergency department is constructed out of a finished masonry block system in lieu of typical drywall and stud construction. A finished epoxy flooring system throughout adds to the aesthetic appeal and longevity of the space. Above the emergency department, oval-shaped soffits add interest to the ceiling.