INNOVATE Issue 04

SPRING/SUMMER 2006 HKS is managed by a four-person executive committee comprised of (left to right) M. Nunzio DeSantis, Executive Vice President; H. Ralph Hawkins, President and CEO; Ronald L. Skaggs, Chairman; and J. Craig Beale, Executive Vice President.

READERS

DEAR

Welcome to the fourth edition of INNOVATE by HKS Architects. Our ongoing intent is to communicate the firm’s vision through the projects designed for our prestigious clients. It is always challenging to limit the number of projects to the few that are illustrated in each issue. Our plan is to publish the magazine twice a year to exhibit more of the exciting collaborations with our clients, consultants, educators, and contractor associates.

In this edition, we interview the co-founder of the world-renowned Blue Man Group and discuss their newly-opened, HKS-designed theatre at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Dan Noble, HKS design director, goes in-depth on new efforts to create a safer healthcare setting. Our sports and assembly feature in this issue spotlights the Garland Special Events Center. This energetic, multi-use facility is turning heads with its stylish angles and curves. HKS’s Mark Buskuhl takes a look at metropolitan hotel/condominium living throughout the United States – and the people who are reaping the benefits of these profitable ventures.

We also focus on Whole Food’s new, larger-than-ever, consumer-driven retail store that recently opened.

On the international scene, we feature our RyderHKS International venture – providing insight into the office’s exciting projects, leadership, and strategic plan for the future.

Again, I want to personally thank all those who make this magazine possible. Our clients offer HKS the challenges to create exciting architectural design while our consultants and contractors allow us to innovate. With the firm’s current $10 billion in construction underway, it takes a collaborative effort to build and design memorable structures. We hope that you enjoy this issue of INNOVATE. Sincerely,

H. Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA President and CEO

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2

FEATURES

SPRING/SUMMER 2006

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DESIGN DETAILS Abbott Northwestern Hospital, American Graphic Design Awards, Best Bosses Competition, EROne, Intermountain Healthcare, Pizza Hut Park.

THE BLUE MAN INVASION Bluemania is heading overseas. The multi-media entertainment team discusses their not so blue past and far-reaching, inventive future.

GOING GLOBAL A thriving alliance in the United Kingdom will take RyderHKS International, Ltd., to new global frontiers.

SAFETY IS PRIORITY ONE Patient safety is on the top of all healthcare providers’ lists. Designer Dan Noble shares insight into the architectural side of the subject.

A NEW MODERN ICON This isn’t your old high school gymnasium. The bold, inspiring Garland Special Events Center is aimed to energize.

METRO LIVING On-site concierge, maid service, and room service aren’t just for hotel guests.

Condominium owners are reaping the benefits of the shared, condo-hotel venture.

A WHOLE NEW MARKET Don’t forget your wallet. Whole Foods just opened its innovative, consumer-driven retail store - and corporate headquarters - in Austin, Texas.

credits EDITORIAL HKS Communications; DESIGN HKS GrafxLab; PHOTO cover: HKS, Inc.; pg. 1: HKS, Inc.; pg. 4: Abbott Northwestern Hospital-Ed LaCasse; pg. 5: PizzaHut Park-HKS, Inc.; pg. 6: Darbe Rotach; pg. 8: Ken Howard; pg. 9: (top) HKS, Inc.; (inset) HKS, Inc.; pg. 10: HKS, Inc.; pg. 11: Paula Wilson; pg. 12/13 RyderHKS; pg. 16: (left) Ed LaCasse; (right) Ed LaCasse; pg. 18: Ed LaCasse; pg. 19: Ed LaCasse; pg. 20-21: HKS, Inc.; pg. 22: HKS, Inc.; pg. 23: (top) HKS, Inc.; (bottom) HKS, Inc.; pg. 24/25: HKS, Inc.; pg. 26: (left) HKS, Inc.; (center) Terry Vine; (right) HKS, Inc.; pg. 27: (top) Terry Vine; (bottom left) HKS, Inc.; (bottom right): Terry Vine; pg. 28: HKS, Inc.; page 31: (top center) James Wilson; (top right) James Wilson; (middle left) James Wilson; (middle center) HKS, Inc.; (middle right) HKS, Inc.; (bottom left) HKS, Inc.; (bottom right) HKS, Inc.; pg. 32: (top left) HKS, Inc.; (top right) HKS, Inc.; (bottom) Rama Tiru. PUBLISHING Innovative Publishing Ink. IPI specializes in creating custom magazines for businesses. Please direct inquiries to Aran Jackson at 502.423.7272 or ajackson@ipipublishing.com

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HKS was recently recognized with three American Graphic Design Awards for branding, publication design, and web graphics. HKS GrafxLab received Excellence in Design awards for INNOVATE magazine and the Architecture for Healing book.

Teaming with HKS VizLab, GrafxLab was also noted for the design of www.hksinc.com, HKS’s website. The national design competition, between thousands of United Statesbased advertising agencies, graphic design firms, in-house creative departments, and publishers, was sponsored by Graphic Design USA magazine. Winning entries are featured in the December 2005 Design Annual issue of the magazine.

design

DE

ENTERHERE Abbott Northwestern Hospital wanted to create a new, progressive front door since its new heart hospital is the first building that visitors see as they enter its campus. Architects at HKS answered the call by designing a stepped, pedestrian-friendly exterior façade that blends with the surrounding residential community’s classic, gable-pitched houses, creating a dynamic entrance to the world-renowned campus.

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Ralph Hawkins, president and CEO of HKS, Inc., was named a finalist of the Winning Workplaces/Fortune Small Business “Best Bosses” competition. The 2005 Best Bosses program received responses from more than 200 leaders who have produced impressive business results through enlightened people practices. Twenty-seven noteworthy finalists were selected. Hawkins was recognized for encouraging all-around employee wellness and training.

ERONE TAKES TOP HONOR Project ER One at Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC was awarded Modern Healthcare’s top honor, The Award of Excellence. The project, one of nine selected from 189 submitted design entries, is the first of its kind in the United States. The $200 million, 500,000-square-foot hospital provides an opportunity to create an architectural prototype for hospital and trauma centers to respond to large-scale catastrophic events including acts of biological and chemical terrorism. HKS, Inc. serves as architect and medical planner on the project and Pickard Chilton is the design architect.

TAILS

PIZZA HUT&

SOCCER

Intermountain Health Care and the Salt Lake City office of HKS Architects, Inc. recently celebrated 30 years of business success working together.

Through the decades, the two firms have forged a partnership of collaboration and innovation that has embraced the full array of patient care needs – from children’s care to ambulatory service needs. More than 120 healthcare projects throughout Utah have been completed providing the community with needed and trusted care.

One of the first soccer-specific venues in the United States, Pizza Hut Park, opened to rave reviews. The 117-acre facility, located in Frisco, Texas, hosts year-round soccer matches, from local amateur league play and national amateur tournaments to Major League Soccer (MLS) – including the 2005 MLS Cup. The sports and entertainment complex features a 20,000-seat stadium and 17 championship-quality soccer fields. The park was developed through a unique private and local governmental partnership between FC Dallas, Hunt Sports Group, the Frisco Independent School District, the City of Frisco, Collin County, and naming rights sponsor, Pizza Hut.

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MAN

INVAS

Bluemania first hit the United States in the 90s. Today, the Blue Man Group show is gaining worldwide momentum and recognition – making it one of the most popular and noted shows on the planet.

Blue Man Group combines music, comedy, and multimedia theatrics to create a funny, visually stunning, and completely unique form of entertainment. Accompanied by a live band, whose tribal rhythms help drive the show to an unforgettable climax, Blue Man Group generates an explosive party atmosphere that infects people of all ages.

The show centers on three Blue Men – with heads covered in bright blue grease paint and latex. As the show begins, a digital scrolling message bar above the stage leads the audience in a series of repeatafter-me-phrases like “please yell if you are paying attention.” The Blue Men enter playing a rhythmic percussion sound beamed off of homemade instruments built from PVC pipe. And, that’s just the beginning of the animated, avant-garde performance.

The entertainment troupe has come a long way since its early days.

Today, the group is signing record-breaking commercial, CD, and DVD deals – not to mention performing at the GRAMMYs, a musical score on the animated film Robots, appearing multiple times on the Tonight Show, hosting a worldwide rock tour, and keynote appearances in a series of national television ads promoting Intel’s Pentium processor.

Three long-time friends – Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton, and Chris Wink – founded Blue Man Group in 1987. The group started out by making public appearances on New York City streets as well as East Village performance art theatres. These events led them to develop an awardwinning show that opened at New York’s Astor Place Theatre in 1991.

ION

Following the success of the New York show, Blue Man Group opened equally successful productions in Boston and Chicago.

Their big break came in March 2000, with the opening of their largest production at the 1,200seat Luxor Theater in Las Vegas.

Blue Man Group has also opened productions in Berlin, Toronto, and London.

An Amsterdam

show will be offered in 2006.

Their latest chapter begins with the opening of their new 1,760-seat, state-of-the-art theatre at the Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada, built especially for the spectacular show – allowing the troupe to incorporate exciting and new elements in their show.

Matt Goldman, co-founder of the Blue Man Group, gives us a behindthe-scenes glimpse into the unique and intriguing band of performers.

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“

OUR BLUE MEN MUST BE INCREDIBLE DRUMMERS, GREAT ACTORS, AND REALLY COOL PEOPLE.

”

“My background was in software production and Chris was synopsizing American trends for a Japanese magazine. Phil was the only one who actually came to New York to be an actor.”

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS’ BACKGROUNDS?

WHO THOUGHT OF THE BLUE MAN GROUP CONCEPT? HOW DID THE IDEA EVOLVE?

“In the early 80s, we were in the midst of the punk and new wave music scene mixed with some exciting new theatrical productions.

But, when all of us graduated from college midway through the decade, nothing was going on in New York – no music scene, no theatre. At that time, we listened to angry monologue spackled with supply-side Reaganomics overtones.

Instead of sitting around complaining, we did something about it. Our focus was to create a combined music/theatrical experience that resonated between us – in hopes of translating and

exciting others.”

HOW DO YOU “We have an in-house marketing staff with a MARKET BLUE design department and group of copywriters. MAN GROUP? We’ve found that it is easier to market Blue Man Group because our characters are unique. Also, many companies come to us looking to show off their new technology. We have the opportunity to try out many of the nation’s top firms’ latest, greatest audio and video gadgets. When it came to recording our ‘Blue Man Group: The Complex Rock Tour,’ we worked with Panasonic to showcase its 24-frame, high-definition capabilities. We weren’t trying to be on the cutting-edge. We just didn’t like what was currently out there in regard to video production.”

HOW MANY “There are about 55 Blue Man Group members BLUE MEN around the world. An in-house, five-person ARE THERE? casting and training staff do nothing but scour the globe looking for Blue Men. What are we looking for in a new hire?

Our Blue Men must be incredible drummers, great actors, and really cool people. They need to be community-minded performers who get along with every type of person. Each show is a tremendous collaboration. When we – the original Blue Men – were on stage, people noticed that we were having fun. That reads to an audience. You can only have fun on stage when everything is right backstage, downstairs, and in the office. The work is not just what you see on stage, it incorporates every aspect of the Blue Man Group’s operation.”

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HOW DID YOU CREATE THE BLUE MAN ?

“The bald and blue look was a dream, a vision.

It just came to us. The look of Blue Man Group has essentially remained the same throughout the years. It has been honed to include three to four different head molds. In 1990, we incorporated specialty ball caps. The blue has also changed slightly since we started. Today, it is international Yves Klein blue in response to our respect and admiration for the French artist best known for his blue monochrome paintings in the 50s. We learned about Yves after the group was founded.

Yves understood the incredible power of the color blue. So, when people ask us where we came from, one of the leading theories is that we stepped out of an Yves Klein painting.”

WHAT DO THINK “This is our first Blue Man Group- ABOUT YOUR NEW specific theatre. I’ve never been in HKS-DESIGNED a 1,760-seat theatre that is more THEATRE AT THE intimate. It has a great feel. You VENETIAN? can’t quantify this. The lighting positions are user-friendly, audience views from all locations are great, and the acoustics are fantastic. I’ve been in theatres that sound good from the audience side but not on stage. At our new theatre, you can literally hear one audience member laughing when you are on stage. This is a very special quality to a show that depends so much on laughter.”

HOW DOES THE THEATRE REFLECT BLUE MAN?

“The HKS team was excited about the challenge of making this a Blue Man Group-specific theatre. In design, we worked with HKS on literally hundreds of details from materials to lighting trusses.

The minute you enter the space, you will know that it is going to be a unique experience. From the light panels that change colors and vibrate to music to the high-tech, tube-like chandelier, the theatre is sophisticated and high-tech as well as comfortable and easy. This is what we want to reflect and share with our audiences.”

HAS ANYONE COPIED YOUR UNIQUE BLUE MAN GROUP PERFORMANCE?

“There was a copycat Blue Man Group in Germany. Also, we’ve seen our bits in ad agency productions. However, no one has copied our exact style and brand.

We were commiserating with musician Philip Glass about this topic one day and he said, ‘they can steal what you’ve done but they can’t steal what you haven’t done.’ That’s our philosophy, too. You can’t win the lawsuit game. We just

keep everything

fresh and inventive.”

IN NOVEMBER 2005, “London is the most sophisticated of all of the YOU OPENED AT THE theatrical markets. We were overwhelmed LONDON THEATRE. by the positive response from British audi- WHAT WAS THE ences. Similar to when we opened in New REACTION TO THE York, the press printed positive reviews. The BLUE MAN GROUP London Sunday Times called our show an FROM LONDON ‘ecstatic experience.’ But, the press didn’t AUDIENCES? print ‘run and go see this show.’ However, word of mouth in the city spread. By Christmastime, we were selling out shows.”

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WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR STRANGEST MOMENTS WITH BLUE MAN GROUP?

“At one of our shows, we brought an audience member on stage during the Twinkie meal segment. Halfway through the show, the Russian woman looked at me and said, ‘I don’t speak English.’ Another time, we overloaded the theatre’s power system during a performance. The paper finale happened without any lights. It was the most surreal thing ever. We just heard paper rustling in the dark. After the show, not a single person asked what went wrong. They thought it was part of the production.”

YOU’VE BRANCHED OUT TO MOVIES, MUSIC, TELEVISION. WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE BLUE MAN GROUP?

“Our vision for the future is to continue doing our thing – our music, our shows.

We also plan on creating children’s books, CDs, and DVDs. Right now, we are working with the Boston Children’s Museum to host ‘Airplay.’ It’s an exhibit accenting the power of air.

Kids test wind movement through different objects, such as pipes. They even get to try their hand at being a Blue Man by playing on the actual instruments used by the Blue Man Group.”

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS WITH BLUE MAN GROUP?

“There are many proud moments for our group – from performing at the GRAMMYs to receiving a standing ovation at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Our latest triumph is definitely working with HKS to open the Blue Man Group theatre at the Venetian.”

With new theatres opening worldwide, two goldcertified hit albums, and a double-platinum DVD, this isn’t the first or last that we’ll see or hear of Blue Man Group. These talented, bald, blue characters will continue to excite eager audiences through a experience that combines theatre, percussion, music, art, science, and vaudeville into an incomparable, indescribable form of entertainment.

multi-sensory

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“

they can steal what you’ve done but they can’t steal what you haven’t done.

”

GOING What started out as a United KingdomUnited States collaboration to service a growing European healthcare design need has evolved into a thriving global alliance between Ryder and HKS, Inc.

In northern Iraq (Erbil, Kurdistan), the international team is building six new schools including two kindergarten, primary, and secondary schools for one of many new planned communities. Discussions are also underway to begin designing higher education, sports, and commercial projects in the region.

A

UK/US FUSION

s Ryder Chairman, Paul Hyett initially met HKS Chairman Ron Skaggs at the international Royal Institute of Australian Architects’ conference while serving in their respective roles as incoming president of the Royal Institute of British Architects and president of the American Institute of Architects.

“We had lengthy discussions with HKS and found that our approaches to design and business were compatible,” said Hyett. “Our firms believe in the business of architecture. The team we’ve assembled has tremendous synergy as well as talent.”

The firms joined forces in 2001 to market new healthcare design work when the National Health Service announced plans to build 100 new hospitals over the next 10 years throughout the United Kingdom. The projects, built through a private finance initiative, range from $20 million to $1.9 billion in construction.

On the U.S. side, HKS, a top-five U.S.-based architectural firm, offered leading-edge healthcare design expertise.

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The firm has ranked by Modern Healthcare magazine as the United States’ top designer – in terms of both the value and volume of healthcare facilities construction.

Ryder brought a team of design experts as well as a demonstrated ability to produce large and complex projects, on-time and within-budget, throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

“Although our cultures might be different, it has been easy to fuse the two firms together due to our similar value systems,” said Ralph Hawkins, FAIA, FACHA, president and CEO of HKS. “Focusing on the strengths of each firm, we have been able to create an energetic and creative team that is recognized by our clients.”

CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS

S

ix months after the group was formed, RyderHKS began to enjoy success. In Newcastle, the team was selected to advance to the Final Invitation To Negotiate (FITN) stage for the provision of design development services for Freeman Hospital and Royal Victoria Infirmary.

“Although we weren’t awarded the projects in the final selection process, we learned valuable lessons,” said Mark Buskuhl, project manager for RyderHKS. “We were able to leverage this experience successfully into our next endeavors.”

GLOBAL FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MARK THOMPSON, JOE BUSKUHL, CRAIG BEALE, PAUL HYETT, NICK SHAPLAND, RALPH HAWKINS, PETER BUCHAN

I

FIT FOR THE FUTURE

n 2003, University Hospitals of North Staffordshire NHS Trust announced that the Equion consortium, which includes RyderHKS and contractor Laing O'Rourke, had been selected as preferred bidder for its $612 million “Fit for the Future” Private Finance Initiative project.

“Our consortium is a team that was carefully selected to pursue this project,” said Buskuhl. “We wanted to develop a strong balance of design excellence, facilities management, development, and construction to execute such a significant and complex project.

At the end of the day, it was this unique balance that made us successful.”

Subsequently, Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust chose a consortium that included RyderHKS for its Northern Batch Hope Hospital Private Finance Initiative project.

The $227 million development allows the integration of new outpatient facilities and inpatient beds with the hospital’s existing diagnostic and treatment hub.

According to Ian Ford, design manager with Balfour Beatty, the selection of RyderHKS was largely due to the team’s unique design solution. “The new master plan integrates the hospital complex within the broader urban fabric. It opened up the facility to embrace the surrounding urban environments and become a key component of Eccles Old Road in Salford.”

T

NO BOUNDARIES

o further reinforce its alliance, RyderHKS International, Ltd. was formed in 2005. The name change reflects a restructuring and expansion of the company’s practice into new sectors and geographic markets.

“We plan to continue developing business activity well beyond our successful healthcare practice, exploring such project and building types as urban regeneration, laboratory and research facilities, commercial, residential, and hospitality markets,” said Craig Beale, FAIA, FACHA, RIBA, executive vice president of HKS and one of six directors of RyderHKS International, Ltd. “The firm will also continue to pursue multi-sector opportunities in continental Europe and the Middle East.”

In addition to Hyett, Hawkins, and Beale, the board of directors of RyderHKS International, Ltd. includes Peter Buchan, RIBA; Mark Thompson, Hon RIBA; and Joe Buskuhl, FAIA. To oversee the consolidation of the London practice and its expansion into new markets, the board appointed Nick Shapland to serve as the managing director of RyderHKS International, Ltd. “We have been extremely pleased with our working relationship with our UK-based architectural partner,” said Hawkins. “Working with them has and will continue to allow us to play a significant and meaningful role in the global marketplace.”

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SAFETY

IS PRIORITY ONE Patient safety was among the top design issues when South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) started planning a new facility in the late 1990s. Since nurses are the first line of defense against patient accidents and medical errors, SJH also emphasized another issue with design implications: staff efficiency and safety.

By Dan Noble, FAIA, FACHA

To optimize both, SJH nurses were involved in the medical center planning process from day one. Their input drove many of the final design decisions.

“Our nursing staff is our hospital,” explains Clare Sapienza-Eck, SJH vice president of strategic planning, whose new facility, South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center, is located in the Vineland, N.J. area 60 miles south of Philadelphia. “Physicians are, of course, very important, but 95 percent of all care is provided by nurses. They are key to preventing medical errors and ensuring patient safety.”

As many as 100,000 people die annually from medical errors or bad medical practices resulting in more than $500 billion in avoidable medical costs, according to the June 20, 2005 issue of Forbes magazine. That astounding figure represents 30 percent of all healthcare spending. The quality control crisis is fueling a litigation crisis as well: malpractice costs hit $27 billion in 2003. As a result, a staff safety and efficiency reform movement aimed at a radical overhaul of America’s 5,764 hospitals is gaining national momentum.

Above left: Individual registration bays offer privacy to patients and families.

Above right: ICU nurses’ station

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Nurses are the ground force in the reform movement. Providing them the tools to be as efficient and accurate as possible is a high priority. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have linked higher levels of nursing education with better patient outcomes. Another study at the same university

determined that patients who have common surgeries in hospitals with lower nurse-topatient ratios are up to 31 percent more likely to die. Several healthcare facilities involved in the reform movement have empowered nurses to challenge doctors when they spot potential errors. The name of the game here is not to assess blame, but to focus on the quality and accuracy of patient care.

Exhausted by staff cutbacks and in some instances, mandatory overtime, nurses have been deserting their profession in droves for a number of years. The federal government estimated last year that more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012 and bumped registered nursing to the top of its high-growth occupations list.

Nursing schools are having a difficult time keeping up with student demand. The nursing shortage has resulted in a nursing school faculty shortage as well, causing nursing schools to turn away qualified applicants. With insufficient numbers of nurses entering the profession, the average age of the Registered Nurse (RN) is now between 49 and 52 years old, up from 42.3 in 1996 and 43.3 in 2000, with no slowdown in sight. The number of RNs under the age of 30 dropped from 25.1 percent of the nursing population in 1980 to 9.1 percent in 2000. Some hospitals are recruiting nurses from other countries.

“Studies show that locating charting, meds, and supplies close to patients decreases medical errors.”

The current situation has significant ramifications for architects of new and expanding healthcare facilities. Designing spaces that increase RN efficiency, reduce stress, injuries, and fatigue and increase the time spent with patients not only helps hospitals hire and retain nurses, it has the potential to reduce medical errors – saving facilities millions of dollars annually.

During planning for the 240-bed SJH Regional Medical Center, all key facility users were involved in the design process. Nurses, technicians, physicians, patients, and family members were all instrumental in designing the operational and functional layout of the final design. Soliciting user input is standard HKS Healthcare Group procedure when planning any facility, but in this instance, architects were especially sensitive to incorporating design suggestions from the nursing staff.

The average RN walks five miles during a typical eight-hour shift. The goal at SJH Regional Medical Center was to reduce this by 60 percent.

Doing so would benefit nurses and patients alike as studies have shown patients are most likely to be injured while they are being moved from one location to another within a hospital.

The design of SJH Regional Medical Center was predicated on the idea that patient moves should be minimized. Each of the hospital’s four floors was designed as a specific “care center” (women and children, surgery, medicine, and

cardiology) that includes three levels of care: intensive care, “step down,” as South Jersey calls their intermediary care, and acute care. This care center model means patients are rarely moved from floor to floor.

“This has reduced infections as well as accidents,” says Sapienza-Eck. “The hospital is significantly quieter and the work environment as a whole is less stressful for our nurses.”

Back injuries are one of nurses’ most common concerns, according to a 2001 American Nursing Association/NursingWorld.com survey. So at SJH Regional Medical Center, casework was placed at more convenient levels for nurses whose average height has decreased in recent years in direct correlation to increasing average age and the international labor pool. And, charting stations that can be worked at while sitting down or standing up were created.

Larger bathrooms are built so that two staff members can help patients with toilet activities, if necessary. Rooms are designed so that equipment can be brought directly to patients, again reducing patient transport.

The quieter, gentler clinical environment is enhanced through deeper colors, indirect lighting, carpeted floors, no overhead paging, and ample access to natural light. Nursing units with charting stations, supplies, and equipment are co-located between rooms to minimize walking and reduce fatigue.

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Studies show that locating charting, meds, and supplies close to patients decreases medical errors. Whenever a nurse has to search out supplies or medication, he/she opens the door to interruptions – and error. Consolidating charting, meds, and supplies in one location allows more time for direct patient contact – a nursing task that has received less and less time during the past several years. According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, the average nurse spends a total of 20 to 30 minutes per eight-hour shift working directly with patients.

Room standardization and computer technology also increase RN efficiency and reduces errors. Building identical rooms ensures staff know immediately and intuitively where to find supplies. Workstation alcoves adjacent to patient rooms provide room for medications and supplies as well as computers for charting. They can include windows that provide visibility of patients as

well – another key factor that has been shown to decrease medical errors.

In addition to all these items, healthcare facilities must be designed to be expandable and adaptable. As census figures change, today’s acute care room may be tomorrow’s intensive care room. Thinking ahead ensures easy renovation to accommodate new demands. For example, walls facing interior corridors should be free of plumbing and HVAC chases, making them easy to transform from hard wall configurations to glass walls, if necessary.

In many cases, room and workstation mock-ups are created to allow the owner and design team members to critique them before they are rolled out en masse. This cost-effective interim step allows the team to reveal concepts that appear sound on paper but flunk the real-life usability test.

“According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, the average nurse spends a total of 20 to 30 minutes per eighthour shift working directly with patients.”

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Building a culture that values both patient and staff safety is the most critical factor in reducing medical errors. The lion’s share of the responsibility for this lies with healthcare facility management and staff.

Today’s management is responsible for initiating activities and programs that hold staff to the highest standard of medical practice.

Standardizing basic procedures, developing protocols, instituting teamwork training, developing digital and clinical medical records, conducting patient simulator training, training employees on new systems, implementing procedures to eliminate infections – all are necessary activities for hospitals that want to build facilities that are truly safe for both patients and staff.

Above left: Caregiver work alcoves between patient rooms help to bring nurses closer to the patient.

Above right: ICU nurses’ station

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w

hen HKS architect Dan Phillips began designing the Garland Independent School District’s (GISD) Special Events Center, his goal was to create a nontraditional school district building that was timeless and created excitement for students and the community.

design of this facility and many of DFW’s most visible sports and entertainment venues including the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, American Airlines Center, Ameriquest Field in Arlington, the Dr Pepper/Seven Up Ballpark, Pizza Hut Park, and the Frisco Dr Pepper StarCenter.

The result is a distinctively designed special events and conferencing facility that looks more like an energetic performance hall than the typical school district field house.

“The modern vernacular of the facility incorporates large expanses of glass to allow natural daylighting into the concourses as well as visual connectivity for passersby,” said Phillips. “The curved exterior, distinctive roof elements, and numerous façade articulations transform what could be a typical gymnasium into an architectural icon.”

The GISD Special Events Center, located in Garland, Texas, is a state-of-the-art assembly and conferencing center serving the needs of the school district and the community.

The 190,000-square-foot, multi-use building allows the school district to host high school convocations, graduations, sports events, concerts, and teacher in-service activities as well as national and regional tournaments. The facility is also open to the community for local activities such as seasonal events, corporate training, trade shows, and other functions.

High school special events were previously located at Southern Methodist University’s Moody Coliseum and various high school locales. The new facility has 7,000 fixed seats for convocations, basketball and volleyball games, gymnastics, and performances. Parking for 1,750 cars is provided adjacent to the facility.

The facility was designed by one of the nation’s leading architectural firms, HKS. The HKS Sports & Entertainment Group is responsible for the

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A dramatic, multi-story lobby welcomes patrons and a grand stair leads them to the main performance stage. The building is enhanced with a Color Kinetics LED lighting system that displays a variation of multi-colored lights inside and outside of the facility.

“Since it opened, people continue to line the building’s public street to view the lights,” said Phillips. “In the future, the Color Kinetics system can display red, white, and blue lighting to celebrate the Fourth of July or red and green lighting during the holiday season.”

The building’s design cues are taken from the geography of the area’s natural landscape. A curved front façade and sloped metal roof are designed in accord with the curvature of the neighboring street while multiple overlapping grids are incorporated to create symmetry and orient the building to the north/south.

Similar design elements are fluently used to express continuity throughout the facility.

“Elements from the building’s exterior are translated into the interior,” said Phillips. “The lobby, with its sloped walls, is an extension of the outside. The exterior sloped metal roof is mimicked by accentuated, reinforced structural trusses inside.”

The 25,000-square-foot conference facility includes an 8,000-square-foot ballroom, divisible into eight smaller meeting rooms, a 125-seat tiered lecture hall, and additional meeting/conference rooms.

The support facilities, located between the event floor and the conference areas, include dressing rooms, storage/maintenance areas, catering and kitchen facilities, and a management office.

The locker rooms are situated to allow bus drops and access to the event floor.

The project team, managed by the Garland Independent School District, includes HKS, Inc., architect; Lee Lewis Construction Company, construction manager; Blum Engineering, Inc., MEP engineer; Walter P. Moore Engineers + Consultants, structural engineer; and RLK Engineering, civil engineer.

Tim Mabe and Keith Reimer, the center's sales and marketing team, are getting the word out that the center has more to offer.

"Anything you want us to do, we can do here," said Reimer. "Anything you see out in the community, we will be proud to do here.

Everyone who lives in the school district, which includes Garland, Rowlett, and Sachse, is a stakeholder in the center. With it, we will enhance economic development while improving our quality of life.”

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By Mark Buskuhl

Greg and Carol Booth admit that amenities such as room service, housekeeping, linen services, a full-service fitness center and spa, and on-site concierge led them to choose the W Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

However, they aren’t hotel guests. The couple is just one of many buyers who are part of a national buying trend focusing on hotel-condominiums.

Sound like a convenient, efficient, and sexy lifestyle?

Many think so. It’s called metropolitan living – from trendy, urban chic to extravagant, luxury living, this phenomenon has arrived.

“Condo hotels are expanding beyond traditional markets such as tourist destinations Orlando, Palm Beach, Hawaii, and Las Vegas,” said Joel Greene, president of the Condo Hotel Center in Miami, a condo hotel

brokerage firm. “Today, more than 150 projects are underway in urban centers like Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Dallas, and New York.”

According to Greene, the average buyer is 35 to 60 years old. “Buyers range from young professionals to empty nesters. The vast majority of these buyers want to buy condo hotel units primarily as investments. They see real estate as a safe harbor for their money.

On the finance side, the hotel condo units are a tax write off and have the potential for short- and long-term appreciation.

“Hotel condo owners also see the benefit of hassle-free ownership,” he continued. “You don’t have to worry about managing rental properties or tenants. They can use the hotel condo unit as a vacation home or rent their units when they are away.”

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The Booths, empty nesters, saw the purchase as a way to downsize from their 5,300-squarefoot home to a contemporary space that best reflects their new lifestyle and existing room décor. “We didn’t need to relocate based on school systems anymore,” said Carol Booth. “Our new location provides us with quick access to our home, business, and downtown events.”

While floor plans and location are primary sales points, amenities are a big part of the decisionmaking process. Libraries, computer business centers, big screen auditoriums, destination kitchens, zero edge pools, and mother-in-law apartments are just a few of the amenities offered to today’s potential buyers.

“We like the idea of room service,” said Booth.

“We travel and work late. So, ordering a cup of soup at the end of a hectic day will be a treat.”

Several factors have led to the current boom in condo hotel projects including lower interest rates for buyers; the lull in the stock market which is making real estate investments more appealing; and the swell of baby boomers looking to invest.

Following 9/11, banks were apprehensive about loaning money for new hotel developments. The condo hotel split allowed developers to provide, in some cases, as little as 15 percent up front – instead of the typical 40 percent equity.

This is due to the fact that pre-signed hotel/ condobuyers now provide up to 50 percent of the project's equity.

Industry experts all agree that condo hotel projects placed on the market in the past two years are being sold out in pre-construction.

Most of these properties are high-rise buildings with, on average, 200 to 1,000 units.

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“It’s a win-win-win,” said Greene. “Banks are providing loans for a secure investment with upfront investors. Hotel developers are able to spread their financial risk among the future condo unit owners. Lastly, individual condo owners are able to enjoy resort-style luxuries.”

Hillwood, a national development firm, introduced the downtown W Dallas Victory Hotel and Residences in Dallas, Texas in 2003. Within six months, the 33-story hotel/condo development was nearly sold out. “We added another 80-plus-unit second tower to meet the overwhelming response,” said Jonas Woods, president, Hillwood Capital.

“It’s unrealistic for a pure condominium or residential development to offer the same kind of services that a hotel can provide,” he said. “It is cost prohibitive to maintain a full-time concierge, kitchen staff, general manager, etc.

The W offers a brand, known quality, and a five-star lifestyle.”

Current HKS projects such as the W Dallas Victory Hotel and Residences and the W Hollywood, in Hollywood, Calif., offer room service, housekeeping, access to the fitness center, spa, and concierge services to residents – all virtually maintenance free. This, coupled with dramatic downtown views and quick commutes to work, makes for an attractive offer for those seeking this lifestyle.

Luxury hotel chains, including W Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., bring their reputations, credibility, and financial backing to the development deal.

"Buying a condo with a luxury hotel chain is like purchasing an insurance policy,” said Jim Butler, global hospitality group chairman, JMBM, a

METRO LIVING

hospitality law firm. “People have a lot more confidence buying into a W Hotel or Ritz-Carlton because they know the name and know the quality of their product.”

HKS was recently selected to serve as architect-of-record for The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, a 70-unit high-rise built atop The Ritz-Carlton hotel – currently under construction. Ideally situated in the epicenter of Uptown Dallas, adjacent to The Crescent office, hotel, and retail complex, Ritz-Carlton residents will enjoy a daily indulgence of style, service, and sophistication.

“The Residences, with its 21 distinct floor plans and three different styles of custom finishes, is already 80 percent sold,” said Bill Mabis, project director, Crescent Real Estate Equities Company, based in Fort Worth. “As cities are becoming increasingly urban, more urban residences, such as The Ritz-Carlton, will be offered to city dwellers. The developments actually benefit their respective cities – with infrastructure from parks to major retail developments.”

But, some people are warning – buyer beware.

“Before buying a condo, buyers need to research all aspects of purchase and resale with an

experienced hotel consultant or accountant,” said Butler. “For example, if the seller provides projected annual returns or an appreciation estimate prior to the execution of a purchase agreement, the property becomes a security.

If the condo hotel project is not properly structured and marketed, it will become subject to the rules, registration procedures, and enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the state agency counterparts.

“An informed buyer should not buy a condo for a return on investment,” he continued. “If you are looking for a 10 percent return on your investments, you might want to look somewhere else. If you want a convenient, relaxing first, second, or vacation home, there is nothing better than a condo.”

Like the timeshare craze of the 80s, the condo-hotel trend is here to stay. “Due to the surge of baby boomers, I feel that the condohotel trend will continue for the next five to 10 years,” said Greene. “Right now, we’re in the second inning of a nine inning game.”

WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE NEW WHOLE FOODS MARKET LANDMARK STORE , IT ’ S CLEAR...

THIS ISN’ T YOUR MOTHER’S GROCERY STORE .

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Colorful, mouth-watering fruits and vegetables are stacked shoulder high. Fifty types of breads are baked fresh daily. Two full-service cheese bars offer the largest-ever selection of cut-toorder cheeses. And, count them, over 600 friendly employees to help you.

Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic food supermarket, opened its Austin landmark store and world headquarters in 2005.

Developed by Schlosser Development Corporation and designed by HKS Architects, the new 80,000-square-foot store takes up an entire block – located on Lamar Boulevard between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The building also includes a six-story, 200,000-square-foot office tower above the market that provides office space for as many as 700 Whole Foods Market team members – consolidating the company’s national and southwest regional offices.

The Whole Foods Market Landmark Store serves as the company’s largest store, exhibiting exciting features that are new to the retail world.

Austin residents enjoy a community and education center, for meetings and cooking demonstrations, a 25,000-square-foot public roof garden with 200 shaded seats, a plaza area for eating and entertainment, and three levels of underground parking with escalators equipped to carry grocery carts from the store to the parking garage.

“Our store concept across America has evolved since our humble beginnings over 25 years ago,” said John Mackey, co-founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market. “Seven years after it opened, we were outgrowing our Austin locale.

We needed to find a way to remodel the existing store or search for one much larger. One day, I looked across the street and found the answer to our dilemma.”

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“Whole Foods chose its new location to allow it to continue to be a part of the neighborhood,” said Owen McCrory, design principal, HKS, Inc. “The building is sited to be open to Lamar, providing a welcoming front door to the new store. It is also user friendly for pedestrians and automobiles with its large, open-air plaza with surface and covered parking.”

The design consists of a six-story, L-shaped office tower atop a one-story store with a rooftop garden, an outdoor amphitheater, and a 900-car parking garage. This more than doubles the number of parking space available at the existing Whole Foods, located one block north of the new facility.

Due to the store’s size and configuration – the largest in terms of square footage of the company’s 161 stores – people-mover escalators are a necessity. The escalators transport shoppers and their carts from the store to their cars parked in the garage. Nearby surface parking is also offered.

Canopy-covered outdoor markets are located outside in the plaza to provide even more choices for Whole Foods Market patrons. Once inside, shoppers are able to pick up groceries or prepared food and enjoy a sit-down lunch inside the store or in the outdoor plaza.

Patrons can walk up a set of grand stairs to a landscaped seating and dining area, complete with a covered trellis, landscaped gardens, and water features.

“The project challenge was to create Class A, highly-efficient office space above a two-acre landmark store,” said McCrory.

“Each one of the building components has to function efficiently on its own with separate, yet complementary identities.”

“The entire project conveys a strong sense of regionalism,” he continued. “Its exterior hosts

...people food and love love to sh they and yet thop, hate to sh ey food...this op for store in A new will aim toustin change th at...

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Texas Leuters limestone with limestone accents, a stone-colored stucco base, and a terracotta colored exterior wall system. A curved glass tower element rises up from the entry of the office building to its highest floor with floor-to-ceiling glass and panoramic views on the fifth and sixth floors. “The Whole Foods storefront, which spans from Fifth to Sixth streets, is designed with three large sweeping curves to create an inviting and exciting entry façade. Playful accents of colored glass, placed randomly throughout the storefront, cast color throughout the store.”

Whole Foods, founded in 1978 in Austin, Texas, is dedicated to supporting sustainable agriculture and the environment. Its 161 stores, located through the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom feature natural and organic foods, which are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils.

“We are proud to be homegrown in Austin and are reaffirming our commitment to our hometown by building the country’s very best food store right here in the heart of downtown,” said Mackey. “There is a paradox in American society that people love food and they love to shop, and yet they hate to shop for food. With its inviting atmosphere, this new store in Austin will aim to change that and take the chore out of shopping and turn it in to a fun, pleasurable experience.”

The Whole Foods Market Landmark Store and World Headquarters serves as the centerpiece of a larger, planned retail and entertainment development, called the Market District, that will include more than 700,000 square feet of retail space.

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