Using a myriad of integrated sustainable design strategies, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University—designed by Los Angeles-based HMC Architects—is now open and designated as the official pilot green hospital for development of China’s green guide for hospital design.
HMC was awarded the contract through an international design competition that posed the challenge to design a hospital that combined Western healthcare innovations with local Chinese practices. The new design was also influenced by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) from 2002 to 2003 that left a profound mark on southern China, where the disease affected thousands of people and killed hundreds. The crisis forced major policy changes to respond better to emergencies and has influenced new hospital design.
The colossal new three-million square foot hospital features the latest infection control measures and the ability to handle a large influx of patients. The teaching hospital for the preeminent medical school consists of a 2,000-bed inpatient tower, 7,000 outpatients per day ambulatory care center, cancer center, and medical research and infectious disease buildings. Using sustainable design strategies to optimize the hospital’s building performance was a priority for our client.
“Sustainable design is a relatively new concept for this region’s medical centers,” said Kirk Rose, chief practice officer at HMC Architects. “Our solution organizes a series of buildings around a dynamic, curved spine to create an ‘eco-atrium’ that has the capacity to handle 7,000 outpatient visits per day while minimizing infection risks.”
At three-million square feet, the massive teaching hospital is one of the first major structures of the city and features a vast array of green design features and elements.
The facility includes:
- 2,000-bed inpatient tower, acute care facility, outpatient facilities, cancer center, and medical research and infectious disease buildings.
- Natural ventilation, stack effect and chilled beams that vastly exceed local energy regulations by more than 60 percent to address cooling needs.
- In addition to solar fins, the hospital’s façade incorporates one of the largest installations of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems in China to reduce its overall energy consumption.
- An outdoor plaza that celebrates Shunde’s tradition of waterways and terracotta manufacturing to create an open, welcoming, green space that the entire community can use.
- Locally sourced building materials, naturally ventilated five-story atrium, natural day-lighting, water recycling, and low-VOC materials.
- The design’s sustainable micro-climatic condition energy performance vastly exceeds local energy regulations.
The project was recognized with a national AIA American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) design award (unbuilt category) in 2011 while still in design phase.
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About HMC: HMC Architects is a healthcare, education, and civic architecture firm with a sustainable approach to design. Founded in 1940, HMC creates high-performance architecture and interior design solutions that not only wow and withstand, but also enrich people’s lives and serve the greater good. Today, HMC has seven offices in the western U.S. including California and Arizona. To learn more or become part of our story, visit hmcarchitects.com.
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