MVHS releases exterior renderings of downtown Utica hospital project

UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) on Friday revealed the exterior design of its new, 373-bed, 672,000-square-foot hospital in downtown Utica.

New York City–based NBBJ has been leading the design process for the new facility since May 2017.

Together with MVHS leaders, they have sought feedback and guidance from more than 2,000 people throughout the community, MVHS said in a Friday news release. They wanted feedback on the design of the new hospital “and its integration with the surrounding downtown area.” The group also met with departments within the health system.

“We are excited to expand upon the vision of this new, integrated health-care campus by sharing this tangible example of how it fits in with the community,” Scott Perra, president and CEO of MVHS, said in the release. “We know that many members of our internal and external communities have been looking forward to the day when the design of the building would be revealed. We are designing the hospital from the inside out, first looking at the processes to care for patients and then designing the space to provide the care. Once the hospital’s layout was finalized, we were able to begin working on the aesthetics of the outside which included following the guiding principles established from the many community meetings held over the past year and a half. This feedback has allowed us to create a stunning design that will fit in beautifully in downtown Utica.”

Ryan Hullinger, partner with NBBJ, called the “guiding principles” from the community meetings “extremely important” in the design process for the new hospital.

“The principles related to the design and look of the building asked us to consider the historic nature of the buildings around the new hospital as well as both old and new aspects of Utica’s architecture. Using that feedback, our goal for the design was to create an exterior expression that respects the rich history of Utica and complements the surrounding neighborhoods, while projecting a sense of clinical excellence through rigorous detailing and craftsmanship. This design works to embody both Utica’s past and its future,” Hullinger said.

NBBJ is also working with MVHS providers and staff on the design and layout of the various rooms in the new hospital. Crews have built mock-rooms at the MVHS New Hartford Medical Office – Crossroads location which will help to test the designs and layouts to make sure they work “flawlessly in real-life situations.”

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com