Keeping the community connected

Image courtesy of Creative Sources Photography/Rion Rizzo

The North Alabama Medical Center is a new 263-bed replacement hospital on a 30-acre medical campus in Florence, Ala. The site is located in proximity to the Tennessee River, which has created a physical and social divide between the communities in the Muscle Shoals area for many years. A major theme of the project focuses on bridging these communities through the architectural language and providing state-of-the-art patient care to the greater Muscle Shoals region.

Designed with a contemporary architectural style, the interior spaces have a local charm, reminiscent of color tones found within the community and along the Tennessee River. As a memento to Shoals history, open-web trusses in the lobby draw inspiration from The Old Railroad Bridge at Florence, which is a historic landmark symbolic of growth and a connection to the greater Muscle Shoals area.

In this project, circulation is arranged to maximize the functional relationships among all departments while separating the public guests from inpatient and outpatient care. All major hospital departments are located along the perimeter of the first floor and are planned to expand horizontally. The building is a five-story vertical design with the structure planned to permit portions of the building to expand vertically. The site also includes a connected medical office building and a future cancer center.

WANT TO BE FEATURED? Visit the American Society for Healthcare Engineering's Architecture for Health Showcase to learn more about participating.