4th Place - $400.00 prize

Submitted by:
Sandy Dickerson
Earl Swensson Associates, Inc.
2100 West End Avenue, Suite 1200
Nashville, TN 37203

Perforated Metal Accents

Perforated Metal Reinforces Theming for a Children's Hospital, Nashville, TN
Perforated metal elements play an integral, recognizable role in achieving the desired image effect for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital—on the exterior as well as the interior.

Combining sophistication and whimsy, the eight story
specialty hospital is designed from the inside out,” with the exterior reflecting the character of the interior. On a tight, two-acre site, the children’s hospital is identifiable and functionally responsive to the rest of the medical campus.

Layering and introduction of the unexpected create an unhospital-like environment. Tubes resembling crayons house family areas. Cones spiraling out of the facade shroud mechanical elements. Air intakes appear as geometric shapes. A ribbon-like canopy represents the hospitals theme “ribbons of hope and rivers of healing.” Even so, the exterior’s playful composition of curving glass, steel details and granite achieves a sophistication level befitting an institution of recognized medical achievements.

The exterior cones shrouding mechanical elements also serve as exhaust towers. The architect elected to design the exhaust ducts on the outside of the building rather than creating shafts on the inside of the building that would consume space. These cones are crowned with perforated plate panels systems that are not only practical but also whimsical. The perforated system allows backlighting with the light wafting through the openings to create the hospital’s identifying presence at night. Blue lighting glows through the perforated panels at night, and white and pink lights wash down the cylindrical shapes to create a recognizable feature unique to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Continuing the embracing, yet whimsical approach on the
inside is yet another usage of perforated material. Wavy
perforated, pre-manufactured metal panels swoop just
below the ceiling in the second level’s public “Main Street”
concourse to portray an illusion of a flowing river to
aesthetically reinforce the hospital’s “ribbons of hope and
rivers of healing” theming.

The perforated systems in the architectural and interior
design applications are timeless elements that effectively
illustrate cohesiveness between the building’s exterior
façade and interior spaces.

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