-By Celia Ying, Photography by Tim Griffith Photography

Founded in 1997 with the goal of bringing international standards of healthcare to the Chinese market, United Family Hospitals and Clinics is a pioneering healthcare organization in China. Enjoying a great success of its founding hospital in Beijing, the group recognized the expanding needs for quality medical care in the region and opened the first international standard healthcare service hospital in Shanghai. The Shanghai United Family Hospital and Clinics (SUFHC) was realized in a joint venture with Chindex International and the Shanghai Changning Central District Hospital.

"It's a concept that we've proved can work in China, and so we plan to bring this model to other Chinese cities," says Roberta Lipson, founder of United Family Hospitals and Clinics. Being Shanghai's first hospital of its kind, SUFHC provides state-of-the-art, one-stop medical care for the Shanghai community and offers an extensive range of services based on international standards. To keep up with its bold vision and expansion plan, SUFHC invited Perkins+Will to be its design architect, interior designer, and medical planner.

Despite 50 years of experience in the healthcare practice and having completed more than 300 medical institutions in the United States and overseas, SUFHC was Perkins+Will's first healthcare project in China. To make sure everything actualized as planned, the design team was formed across the continents. "Our design team of Jena Hwang and Grace Tang in New York along with Grace Chen and Jenny Hu in Shanghai worked together to design and implement the project. We collaborated with MSI Design Institute in Shanghai, which was the architect-of-record as stipulated by Chinese regulations," says Carolyn BaRoss, principal of the Perkins+Will New York office.

The project is located within the Changning Central District Hospital Complex in the Hongqiao district in Shanghai, where there was an existing L-shaped, four-story building, with a double-story space on the top two floors and a bridge on the fourth floor that connects to a local hospital wing. Perkins+Will's task was to re-clad the existing 48,500-sq.-ft. building and to expand the total number of beds from 35 to 50 to house a comprehensive range of services, namely the emergency rooms and triage, ICU and NICU units, outpatient clinics, surgery and endoscopy suites, diagnostic imaging and testing, and dentist operatories.

Since the original building had an existing core and shell, the design team had to work with the bones of a building planned as a local hospital. "There were challenges in retrofitting the existing building into a facility that meets international space standards," BaRoss admits. In order to accommodate the complex spatial requirements and strict healthcare standards within the tight shell, while at the same time maintaining clear organization and planning flexibility, they decided to reorganize the existing infrastructure.

"We demolished the existing partitions…To ease circulation and to provide central services, we introduced a small back-of-house addition on the first two floors at the bend of the L-shaped plan," BaRoss explains. "A third stair core that was converted to a service elevator for central access splits the plan into two wings. At the convergence point on the upper floors, we designed a curved, organically shaped reception area/nurse station to allow surveillance throughout the floor plate. They double as architectural landmarks for easy wayfinding." To make good use of every space, even the existing double-story space on the upper two floors is converted into a library, which serves to tie the two in-patient floors together and to provide a respite area for both patients and families.

Once the spatial organization was settled, the next task was to sculpt a "home away from home" setting for healing and wellness and a calm, well-organized work environment for the staff. "It was crucial to create a soothing, personal, home-like environment that supports the dignity, privacy, and comfort of patients. It was also important to reinforce the image of a family-centered facility, with comfortable and intimate settings. For the outpatient areas, we wanted visitors to feel that they are safe and in professional care, all within an inviting and welcoming facility," BaRoss remarks.

The objective of providing a homey environment for patients with notable aesthetics was done mainly through the generous planning of beds, the injection of family-focused spaces and personal touches throughout, detailing, and the use of materials and colors. In addition to Chindex's corporate blue color, other soothing colors were selected to promote a sense of calm and to reduce stress for both patients and staff. Complementing the comfortable color scheme is the introduction of daylight, which helps connect the interior to the exterior. Furthermore the complex program was clearly organized with intuitive circulation, which prevents the patients and visitors from suffering from the stress and anxiety caused by a maze-like environment.

"There is real value in successful design and an understanding that the healthcare environment directly affects caregivers and patients," observes BaRoss. "The client was absolutely committed to providing a high-quality design experience for their patients and envisioned a facility that was decidedly not 'healthcare-like.'" With demand growing, plans are in the works for expansion into other major cities in China. Lipson remarks, "It's exciting to be able to bring something to China that's so vital and that wasn't there before."

who
Project: Shanghai United Family Hospitals and Clinics. Client: Chindex International. Architect, nterior designer: Perkins+Will. Structural, mechanical, electrical engineer: Meinhardt. General contractor: China Civil Engineering Construction Corp. Furniture dealer: Furniture package bought by Chindex. Photographer: Tim Griffith Photography.

what
Wallcoverings: Cirqa, Imperial, Sangstsu, New Nor, Sincol, New Ace, Durafort. Paint: Benjamin Moore, Jingdi. Laminate: WilsonArt, Omega. Flooring:    Italy Daugres Ceramiche S.P.A., XiLin Wood Company, Tarkett Sommer, Romastone. Carpet/carpet tile: Domain, 3M, Xin Yin Su, Custom. Ceiling: OWA. Lighting: Boyd; Arco. Glass: Tekco Glass Works. Window treatments: Art Cloth. Railings/screens/grill work: Talent, Custom. Solid surfacing material: LG Chem. Guest room tables/seating, lounge seating: SUNON. Dining/convention/conference seating:  Haworth. Architectural woodworking/cabinetmaking, signage: Custom by contractor. Public plumbing fixtures: Toto. Guest room plumbing fixtures: Toto, American Standard.

where
Location: Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. Total floor area: 48,500 sq. ft. No. of floors: Four. Average floor size: 12,440 sq. ft. No. of beds: 50. Total staff size: 328. Cost/sq. ft.: 4800 RMB/SQM.