California Pacific Medical Center Van Ness Campus Hospital

Project Details

Project Description

An integrated project delivery team of hundreds of planners, designers, contractors, and hospital leaders worked side-by-side to redefine what a hospital means to a city: as a piece of architecture; as a representation of health, wellness and technology; and as a commitment to the many communities it serves.

Occupying an entire city block along a major San Francisco arterial, the new 12-story, 274-bed California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Van Ness Campus hospital is designed as a beacon of health in the City by the Bay. Based on a system-wide strategic master plan developed by SmithGroup, this new hospital unites two of CPMC’s existing urban campuses into a hub for CPMC facilities citywide, housing two hospitals—adult acute care and women’s and children’s—in one building.

The integrated project delivery team utilized forward-thinking methodologies including Lean programming and state-of-the-art modeling and fabrication techniques to create one of the smartest, safest and most sustainable hospitals in the country, nearly a year ahead of schedule and on budget. The use of 120 viscous wall dampers—the first U.S. hospital to use this technology—help to ensure the facility can withstand a major earthquake and remain fully functional for up to 72 hours on its own.

Sitting atop the peak of Cathedral Hill at the busy intersection of Van Ness Avenue and Geary Boulevard, the new building enhances the urban fabric with a contemporary glass, metal and stone tower meant to reflect the high-rise commercial and residential buildings of the city’s nearby Financial District.

At street-level, shadow boxes with colored LED lighting and varied glass, micro-retail storefronts and green walls soften the building. Widened sidewalks, abundant bench seating and planters that both treat stormwater and buffer the sidewalk from the street create a safer, more enjoyable experience for pedestrians.

Inside the hospital, each floor is themed to a natural element—earth, forest, water, light and air—with sophisticated finishes, colors and the use of super graphics to reinforce the concept of that floor. Lighting design throughout the hospital enhances healing and helps to clarify wayfinding in the large facility.