Humboldt Park Health, a 100-year-old building located in the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican neighborhood, was designed and refurbished by architecture firm JGMA.
The firm planned and designed the renovation of the lower levels and functions within, specifically related to patient care, visitor flow, and wayfinding. The project consists of more than 2323-m2 (25,000-sf) of work, split into 22 individual phases, and seeks to create a welcoming environment, as well as defining a strategy throughout the first floor.
The interior transformation includes new floor, wall, and ceiling finishes to enliven the interior environment through an introduction of color, as well as to provide clear wayfinding for patient access to the various programs throughout the hospital. Creation of new partitions and demolition of existing barriers in various clinical areas, including the emergency department, seek to reshape programmatic adjacencies and to promote the identity of wellness and privacy for all.
Careful introduction of transparent and translucent materials assists in promoting openness and privacy simultaneously, while providing opportunities to tie the hospital back to the culture of the surrounding community through the introduction of local art and imagery of nearby landmarks. The introduction of a dynamic ceiling treatment throughout the corridors is meant to both define the various program areas throughout the project, and to shape the logic of signage to ensure that it is welcoming and easy to understand. The Humboldt hospital is a critical safety net healthcare provider whose mission is to provide health care services by partnering directly with patients, families, employees, physicians, and the communities served.
