Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center Wins Contract Award
SmithGroup conceived a bold new identity for Los Angeles’s Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center on a 12-acre site southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Rancho Los Amigos, founded in 1888, is the only rehabilitation hospital for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and provides care for 4,000 inpatient and 71,000 outpatient visitors each year for a variety of conditions, including adult and pediatric spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, orthopedic disabilities, strokes, neurological disorders, and physical and developmental disorders.
A central plaza defines the heart of the campus, and two new structures are proposed between an existing building and a parking garage to house a variety of clinics and therapy gyms, as well as a wellness center. A glazed concourse lines the plaza, connecting these functions and providing areas of respite every 150 feet. Sliding walls and gardens contribute to a park-like atmosphere that blurs the boundaries between inside and out.