Originally opened in 1953 in rural Jefferson County, the hospital now sits on the south edge of the St. Louis metro. Years of additions split departments, complicated wayfinding, and strained infrastructure. Mercy Health purchased the hospital in 2013 and launched master planning in 2014.
Project goals included celebrating local history and Mercy's heritage, consolidating entries for better wayfinding, combining diagnostics and treatment zones, converting non-revenue space to specialty clinics, transitioning to private rooms, expanding women's, cancer, and behavioral health services, and updating aging infrastructure.
The solution placed a three-story, ninety-bed tower on the south side of the campus. Glass galleries link to existing wings and bring daylight into public areas. The tower includes mechanical penthouse and was designed for vertical expansion up to three additional floors. A new west entry reduces access points and improves wayfinding. Site circulation was simplified and surface parking expanded.
* Experience prior to joining HFA.
Architecture
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