Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center by Earl Architects

TY COBB REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER LAVONIA, GA

ENTRANCE PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

TY COBB “THE GEORGIA PEACH” 1886-1961 EARLY LIFE: Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born on December 18, 1886 in The Narrows, Georgia to mother Amanda Chitwood Cobb, and father William Herschel Cobb. He was the eldest of three children in the family, and began playing baseball at age six in Royston, GA. His father greatly valued the importance of education; as he was a teacher, principle, school commissioner and a state senator throughout his lifetime. However, to his father’s initial disapproval, Ty Cobb found his true calling in baseball. At age 17, Ty Cobb traveled to Augusta, Georgia to try out for a team in the “Sally” league, but came up short-handed. After sharing his initial disappointment with his family, his father said, “Don’t come home a failure.” It was these words of determination that gave Ty Cobb the drive to pursue his passion, and ultimately succeed. A BASEBALL LEGEND: Ty Cobb continued on his journey into baseball history, playing a total of 24 seasons throughout his lifetime. In 1907, he won nine consecutive batting titles, and also led his team, The Detroit Tigers, to the World Series. Ty Cobb still holds the highest batting average on record, accumulating a .367. Cobb was also admired by players within the league for his great athletic strengths, including speed, agility, and precision, as well as his year-round mentally and physically strenuous conditioning routines. When asked about the sport, his response was “Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded man. It’s no pink tea, and mollycoddles had better stay out. It’s a struggle for supremacy, survival of the fittest.” In 1936, he became the first player inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. In 1942, a survey taken of the Major League Managers named Ty Cobb, as the greatest baseball player of all time. INFLUENCE TODAY: Beyond his triumph on the field, Ty Cobb was a savvy businessman, placing a large sum of his earnings into wise investments. Towards the end of his life, he made generous donations including starting a scholarship called the Cobb Educational Fund, and a $100,000 donation toward his hometown healthcare system to construct their first modern hospital. Ty Cobb once said, “I regret to this day that I never went to college. I feel I should have been a doctor.” His life has not only had a large impact within the realm of “America’s Favorite Pastime”, but in the lives of people within his community. His contributions far exceed his lifetime, reaching beyond the past and present, and into the future.

PHOTOGRAPHER LEFT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

OUR DESIGN OBJECTIVES IDENTIFYING THE NEEDS

SITE SELECTION AND CONCEPT

The Earl Architects team was initially approached by the

From the three options given by the county for potential

community of Lavonia to assist in finding a solution to a

building sites, the final decision was made to place the

current dilemma they were facing: the community had

facility on a 40 acre plot within a 200 acre property of

two healthcare facilities which were providing duplicate

pristine pasture land. The natural beauty of the pasture

services, and in turn, costing the community more than they land with its rolling grassy hills, lush forested land, and could afford. Both facilities needed significant infrastructure flowing creek, paired with its immediate proximity off the improvements, but the EA team quickly realized the cost

I-85 corridor made for the perfect setting for the new Ty

of upgrading and expanding each facility would out-weigh

Cobb Regional Medical Center.

the cost of providing a new single facility. A replacement

The primary concept of the architectural design is to

hospital that consolidates all services into one location,

highlight the natural setting of the region by promoting

would provide a leaner, more cost effective solution to

a healing environment through views to nature and

support the growing needs of the surrounding counties.

maximizing the use of natural light. The facility rests on the

THE “BEST PRACTICE” MATRIX

highest point of the property located closely to the rear of the site, allowing for a grand procession through the natural

For planning the programmatic needs for the new hospital,

environment to the architecture. The curvilinear footprint

the team collaborated with the medical staff, board of

not only embraces the site and its arriving occupants, but

directors, and surrounding community to fully understand

also provides flexibility for growth, along with convenient

and encompass the needs of the patients, family, visitors,

access to the various departments. The shape compliments

and staff. In addition to the collaboration process, Earl

the concept by contributing to the amount of daylight

Architects also utilized an in-house tool they have created,

entering into the facility. The curve also encourages clear

called the “Best Practice Matrix.” This matrix has been

wayfinding through the main circulation, with a structured

designed to simplify and prioritize the components of

organization of front of house/back of house distribution

LEED, LEAN, and Evidence-Based Design Principles, many

of services and access. The glass inner curve serves as

of today’s leading industry benchmarks of good design.

the public “spine” and helps orient patients as they travel Utilizing the matrix throughout the programming, planning, through the hospital, while the outer curve divides into and design stages, Earl Architects can easily identify and the various departments, with patient rooms located on cross reference these priorities for a comprehensive design

the exterior wall for direct access to natural views and day

strategy that can be carried throughout a project.

lighting.

PLANNING DESIGN AND BUDGET: Despite a tight budget, Earl Architects worked with the entire project development team to create architecture that programmatically fit the needs of the facility and community, without compromising design or functionality. “Given the fact that we built this facility for what we did, and given the restraints that we had, some people ask, ‘Why in the world would you put so much design effort into a project that had such a low budget?’ And of course, our response always is, ‘That is all the more reason that you need good design!’ We are always striving to accomplish great design in a cost-effective way.” Rick Earl, Partner-In-Charge

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D LEVEL 2:

LEVEL 1:

1 Lobby 2 Serving/Dining 2 3 GROUND LEVEL:

C D

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Wellness and Fitness Imaging and Emergency Outpatient Services and Surgical Suite Mezzanine and Family Wait Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Center Med/Surg Patient Room

9 MOB

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GROUND LEVEL AND LEVEL 1 LOBBY Entering into Ty Cobb, a two-story glass lobby allows natural light to filter into the space, enhancing staff and patient experience, while also minimizing energy consumption. Research has shown that sunlight reduces depression, lowers the feeling of fatigue, increases alertness, and regulates circadian rhythms, ultimately improving the psychological and physical state of the 1

patients and staff. Other features of the Lobby space include views of nature, and various regional references through materiality and imagery, in an effort to create positive distractions and reduce anxiety in patients and family. 1. Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Joseph, A., Quan, X., & Choudhary, R. (2004). The role of the physical environment in the hospital of the 21st century: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Concord, CA: The Center for Health Design.