Tucson Medical Center
Tucson, Arizona

Completion: 2005 (study)
Size: 110 Acres
Cost: N/A

The Tucson Medical Center is a community-based hospital with 600 licensed beds on a 110-acre campus at the foothills of the Catalina Mountains. The hospital has evolved from a private desert sanatorium to the leading not-for-profit hospital in southern Arizona. It includes more than 1 million gross square feet (gsf) on a single level, which has lead to tremendous functional difficulties and inefficiencies. An earlier effort to propose a 200-foot vertical tower was widely criticized by the community, and TMC commissioned Ayers/Saint/Gross and HKS Architects to develop a master plan.

The program included a new 450-bed replacement hospital, up to 1 million gsf of medical-related facilities and structured parking for 8,000 cars. Since the current facility must be kept in full operation during construction, the master plan focuses on realistic migration and phasing. In addition, the plan presents strategies for keeping the total building height below 150 feet while connecting the campus to the surrounding neighborhoods and natural areas.

This inclusive process involved extensive meetings with well-organized neighborhood groups, local planning staff and elected officials to create a master plan that is supported broadly and meets the community's long-term development goals.

In addition to the TMC main campus replacement project, the design team is assisting TMC in planning a 100-bed community hospital to be built in the neighborhood of Civano, a new urbanist, sustainable development. The facility will be designed to fit in the neighborhood and will be LEED certified.