The transformation of a former parking garage into a cutting-edge maternity care facility was an ambitious undertaking. Spanning 60,000 square feet across three floors, this project involved meticulous programming, planning, and design to relocate the hospital’s obstetrics service line. This included labor and delivery, post-partum care, OB/ED triage, cesarean operating rooms, and a state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

One of the primary challenges was maintaining critical adjacencies to ensure optimal patient care while also reducing clinician fatigue. The existing obstetrics unit, previously housed on one floor, had to be effectively distributed across two levels without compromising efficiency. To achieve this, the design team collaborated closely with clinicians and hospital stakeholders, analyzing extensive programming data and incorporating the latest evidence-based research on patient care models.

A key decision was the implementation of the Single Room Maternity Care (SRMC) model. Under this approach, mothers would remain in one room throughout labor, delivery, recovery, and post-partum, eliminating the need for transfers and enhancing the overall patient experience. To support this, all Labor, Delivery, Recovery and Post-partum (LDRP) rooms were strategically placed on the same floor as the cesarean operating rooms. The reduction in post-partum room requirements also allowed for a more integrated NICU design, with some private rooms enabling parents to stay with their newborns.

Further enhancing the patient experience, the design introduced the INIC model, allowing postpartum mothers to recover in the same room as their stable NICU infants. Staff well-being was also a priority, with dedicated respite spaces and circadian lighting to reduce burnout. To create a calming and restorative environment, spa-like interiors and a rooftop lounge were incorporated, making this hospital the premier choice for maternity care in the region.