The ribbon officially was cut on June 26 on California’s first LEED-certified hospital, which holds a Silver designation. The new, San Francisco-based Laguna Honda Hospital, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, blends aesthetics and tradition with a modern focus on quality and sustainability, featuring high-performance insulation and glazing, an EnergyStar-rated roof, and low-flow plumbing for water conservation.

Additionally, the building’s efficient mechanical design with evaporative cooling eliminates the need for the cooling towers used in many hospitals. Other features include use of low-emitting material and finishes for better air quality, and excellent ventilation using fresh outside air.

Architecture firms Anshen + Allen and Stantec Architecture recently redesigned a 150,000-sq.-ft. of existing structures on the historic, 150-year-old campus, as well as designed two new resident buildings. The hospital now includes 780 beds, including 30 for acute care; a wellness and community center; a 100-plus-person theater; aviary; library; barber shop; beauty salon; gymnasiums; art studios; general store; gift shop; and cafeteria.

Spanish-influenced, 1920’s-inspired design features include protected courtyards, simple punched openings in plaster walls, and animated terminations in living rooms. “The design was inspired by the desire to create a sense of continuity across time, reflecting San Francisco’s long legacy of providing care for the residents on campus. So the design respects the Spanish-influenced architecture of the historical buildings, while the Pavilion creates a new palette that marks a new Laguna Honda for the next century of care,” says Jeff Logan, director of design at Anshen+Allen.

The new residential hilltop towers are linked by a four-story pavilion building, envisioned as a literal and figurative link of past and present. Within the structure, the architects aimed to create a social community for residents. Residents are grouped in "households" of 15 beds. Each household has its own living and dining rooms, and shared bathrooms. The hospital's 10 therapeutic gardens add to pre-existing outdoor areas to create significant public outdoor space for the community.

"From day one it was my hope that we create a place to live, rather than an institution for housing," says Sharon Woodworth, principal at Anshen+Allen and designer of the hospital. "Instead of the code-minimum, four-to-a-room bedroom, we have created a place where residents have a choice: a choice of sleeping in privacy or having a roommate, of eating in a small dining room or a larger cafe, and between enjoying a quiet view from the living room or an art class in the great hall."