HKS | UAB Health Medical West Hospital
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Image credit: Tom Harris
Our Project
UAB Health Medical West is a modern, experience-centered facility that serves rural communities and enables new ways of delivering care. It is designed as a warm, comforting environment that exudes the southern hospitality the region is known for. The building’s fully glazed exterior reflects the surrounding 125-foot pine trees and natural wetlands, eliciting a sense of oneness with nature. The interior design of the lobby suggests the atmosphere of a front porch, complete with rocking chairs and views outside. The native Cahaba lily is integrated throughout the ground floor design, with the lobby ceiling featuring petal-shaped lights and long, curved panels that mimic the flower. These elements are reflected onto the floor pattern, evoking the way the flower’s silhouette is mirrored in the running water where it grows. Botanical graphics distinguish each floor with warming pops of color chosen to lift a visitor’s or caregiver’s mood — a crucial outcome of biophilic design strategies in often stressful health care settings.
UAB Health Medical West Hospital
Location: Bessemer, AL
Square Footage: 415,500
Completion Date: August 2024
At HKS, we strive to improve the health and vitality of all we serve — every community, every project, every time. Our award-winning research on how design can improve health and well-being informs each design decision. We deliver compelling, efficient and flexible solutions that balance beauty with performance.
hksinc.com
CONTACT
Janice Baker
Principal
jbaker@hksinc.com
LOCATION 1
350 North St. Paul Street
Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 969-5599
LOCATION 2
3280 Peachtree Road NE
#900
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 442-7878