CannonDesign was engaged by UC San Diego Health to design the Jacobs Medical Center, a state-of-the-art patient care facility located in La Jolla, California.

To position itself as a leading medical research institution, UC San Diego (UCSD) Health transformed its advanced medical center into a world-class destination for patient-first care. Connected to UCSD’s existing Thornton Hospital and located adjacent to a new research facility, the 245-bed building is a translational medical center in the truest sense — facilitating the convergence of research, education and world-class clinical care.

Although one building, the 10-story hospital functions as three hospitals — housing centers for women and infants, cancer care and specialty surgery. The building’s overall curvilinear form was driven by the design of the patient units, but also by advanced modeling to capitalize on views, maximize daylight and minimize solar gain and glare. The geometry creates a subtle continuous flowing curve of the exterior — a dynamic form that changes as one passes around the building’s perimeter. Integrated into the exterior are a number of elevated gardens and terraces that bring nature up to the patient level.

The organic nature of the exterior translates to the interior to create an intentional and natural flow. The patient rooms are equipped with modern finishes, and an award-winning custom headwall seamlessly combines all necessary elements and equipment into one sculptural element. All patient rooms are also equipped with an iPad that can be operated from the bedside, empowering patients to customize their environments and securely view their treatment schedules and medical records.

The hospital, which opened in November 2016 after more than a decade of planning and construction, combines the highest-quality advanced care with upscale amenities, architecturally significant design, and future-focused technology to usher in a new era in specialty inpatient care.

Architect: CannonDesign
Photography: Christopher Barrett, Ethan Rohloff, Ian Patzke