WPA Architecture used connection and transformation to guide the design of the Phase V addition & remodel for Central Valley Medical Center located in Nephi, Utah.

CVMC asked the design team to create a grander arrival experience, a more visible emergency department, and a more secure and comfortable Women’s Center.

Initial design efforts placed the expansion on the west side of the hospital, with a focus on the guest’s experience as they first arrive. A covered drop-off area, protected by a sloped roof supported by columns with angled tie rods, presented a new face to the community, helping clearly identify how to access the hospital’s critical services.

From there, a new angled entry corridor connects patients and families from the new drop-off area to the heart of the hospital, with quick access to the second floor Women’s Center and impressive dining facilities. Separate help and check-in desks provide clear wayfinding elements tied together with similar architectural treatments above to help give visitors a visual cue to their tied function of helping patients navigate the expanded hospital.

Interior finishes from the existing hospital were extended and reinterpreted into new sections of the building, transforming the hospital into something that felt a part of the original hospital constructed in 1999, but with an updated look and feel.

Connections to the outside were created through large glass areas that bring natural light into the space, helping to promote calm as patients visit the building. Natural light elements include the front entrance, emergency department waiting area, and a vertical connection into the expanded kitchen and dining area located in the basement of the expansion.

Exterior materials were chosen to transform the hospital’s look into a modern facility but with respect to the past design of the building, such as new ACM panels overlapping existing CMU walls. Large masonry panels transition from textured to smooth to invoke the healing process that will happen when patients come to CVMC. The design intent was to elevate the architecture of the hospital as a way to elevate the standing of the hospital in the community while visually suggesting the building had always been a part of the facility.

The main entry element contains a stepped approach to provide a formal differentiation of space from the entry vestibule to the main lobby. In addition, the shed roof structure is a nod to the rural structures of the region. Each element provides an opportunity for natural light to reach into the lobby and vertical circulation spaces while controlling the direct sunlight through building form and horizontal shade devices. A wood-looking metal panel system begins the connection of materials from outside the hospital to the inside.

Architect: WPA Architecture
Contractor: Westland Construction
Photography: Endeavor Photography