Published on September 25, 2019
The lakeshore community is one step closer to having a new hospital to serve its healthcare needs as construction gets underway on the new Bronson South Haven Hospital. The $22 million, two-story, 52,000 square foot facility is being built directly east of the existing hospital and will be accessible from both Blue Star Highway and Bailey Avenue.
To celebrate the groundbreaking, Bronson South Haven is inviting the public to drop in at a Community Reception on Thursday, October 3rd from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Bronson Wellness Center, 950 S. Bailey Avenue. Bronson officials and construction partners will be on hand to discuss the project and will share architectural drawings of the design and layout of the new hospital.
Kirk Richardson, Bronson South Haven Hospital COO/CNO, says, “We couldn’t be more pleased to be breaking ground on a project that we know will have a tremendous impact on the future of this community. It is not only an investment in building better health for our patients, it is an investment in the vitality of our region. This well-planned, state-of-the-art facility will enable Bronson South Haven to contemporize care to meet current health trends, and will help attract new providers and staff to serve our community for decades to come.”
The exterior of the new hospital will combine clean and modern architecture with stone porcelain tile and brick tones that coordinate with the exterior of the nearby Bronson Wellness Center. Expanses of tinted glass windows and modern metal details round out the exterior and reflect the signature design style of Bronson facilities. A curved drive will lead patients and visitors up to the front of the hospital where an angled canopy and glass curtain wall create a welcoming and easily identifiable main entrance. Parking will be available outside the main hospital entrance on the east and south sides of the building.
To create the warm, healing environment that Bronson is known for, the interior color palette will reflect the lakeshore. Blue tones acknowledge the connection to Lake Michigan while green and other warm tones reflect the beach grasses, sand and trees. The colors all harmonize to bring the essence of nature into the built environment and to help reduce patient anxiety and promote healing. Flooring, wall finishes and fabrics are coordinated to these hues and bring aesthetic balance as well as ease of maintenance to the facility.
Overall, the new hospital will be environmentally-friendly in many ways. It is expected to exceed minimum Energy Code Building Requirements through use of energy efficient LED lighting, high performance low E coated glass, indoor air quality improvements and building material resource conservation. Low volatile organic compound (VOC) materials and use of material with high recyclable content will further contribute to making the building a healthy one.
Elzinga & Volkers, Inc., an award-winning firm based in Holland, Mich. is providing design and construction for the new hospital. Joe Novakoski, Vice President of Operations, says, “We are honored to partner with Bronson on this innovative new facility. Our team of professionals excels in building highly complex healthcare environments, and we are proud to lead the design and construction of this project that will provide acute care, emergency care, primary care and specialty care all in one efficient and convenient setting.”
During the course of the project, over 40 building trades companies and 1,000+ individual tradespeople will be involved in building the new Bronson South Haven Hospital. Construction is expected to be completed in December 2020.
The full content of this article is only available to paid subscribers. If you are an active subscriber, please log in. To subscribe, please click here: SUBSCRIBE