DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital Renovation Complete

The third and final phase of a $77 million renovation at Sinai-Grace Hospital at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) has reached construction completion with a new main entrance, lobby, admitting area and radiology department. Designed by SmithGroup, the three-year construction project is the largest undertaking in northwest Detroit in more than a decade.

The latest improvements resulting from the sizable, multi-year renovation and expansion program are significant to the hospital, which was originally built in the 1930s and today is the only serving Detroit’s northwest residential neighborhoods. A new main entrance, constructed of glass, burnished block and brick, was designed as a reflective glass box during the day, and glow like a lantern at night, serving to energize the urban community. The new 18,000-square-foot lobby, triple its previous size, features a three-piece sculpture entitled “Life Trees,” created by the Detroit Design Center. A dedicated admitting area is located directly off the new lobby. The Radiology Department, also located conveniently off the main lobby, is now 24,000-square-feet, nearly four times larger than its prior 4,700-square-foot size.

“The goal was to provide a better patient experience and an optimal work environment while at the same time, re-invigorating this hospital. It’s the only hospital that services northwest Detroit,” said Ann Kenyon, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, SmithGroup project manager for the $77 million renovation.

SmithGroup’s design clearly identifies two distinct, exterior entrances: a main entry and a separate entrance for the Emergency Department. Inside, patients gain a clear sense of direction with areas of transparency at focus points and at transitions between the first and second floors.

The new main entrance, lobby, admitting and radiology areas represent the third and final phase of an extensive renovation and expansion program at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital that broke ground in 2012. This final phase follows the earlier completion of a new 125,000-square-foot building addition containing a new Emergency Department (phase one), which opened in 2014, and a new Intensive Care Unit (phase two), which opened in February of this year.

Phase One: New Emergency Department

The largest portion of the construction program was its first phase: a complete overhaul to the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED), the busiest in Detroit. The new ED, now at 59,000-square-feet, is more than double its previous size. Featuring separate entrances for walk-ins and ambulance arrival and 94 new patient treatment areas (including 42 hard-walled exam rooms), the ED provides increased security and privacy. Six nursing stations allow hospital staff to efficiently manage up to 125,000 patients each year. As a Level II Trauma Center, the new ED now has four trauma rooms outfitted with advanced lifesaving equipment for those patients who need maximum medical care. The new department even features a confidential psychiatric crisis center and special treatment areas for geriatric and pediatric patients. Phase one completed in February 2014.

Phase Two: New Intensive Care Unit

Following the completion of the new ED was a new 45,000-square-foot, 40-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which opened in early 2015. More than double the size of the previous ICU, it features large private, sun-filled rooms, each with a sleeper sofa for the comfort of visiting family members. The rooms feature the latest intensive care technology, including monitors that feed health information to patients’ medical records. Two beautiful waiting rooms with large windows accommodate visitors. Phase two completed in February 2015.

Exterior materials for the new addition feature a burnished, orange brick that closely matches that of the original Grace Hospital Building. The upgraded-yet-durable finishes for the high-volume, public spaces include the burnished brick, which serves to provide a strong inside/outside connection; terrazzo flooring and base; wood veneer wall covering; and wall tile.

SmithGroup provided architecture, engineering, interior design, lab planning, lighting design and programming services for the three-year expansion and renovation project. Serving as construction manager was Turner/White Construction, a joint venture. Hamilton Anderson Associates, Detroit, provided landscape and some interior design services. Additional work underway at the hospital entails a clinical laboratory renovation and expansion, slated for completion in December 2015.

About DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital 

Located in Northwest Detroit, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital is a full-service hospital with 404 licensed beds and nearly 800 physicians, 700 nurses, and over 1500 other health care professionals. DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital is one of eight hospitals operated by the Detroit Medical Center. With more than 214,000 patients annually, DMC Sinai-Grace serves as a teaching facility to more than 200 medical students each year. Read more about the multi-phase construction project here.

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