DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Two Ellerbe Becket-designed projects have been recognized with awards in the inauguaral Hospital Build Middle East design awards program.
Receiving top honors in the “Best Interior Design – Built” category was The City Hospital, a 210-bed premium hospital that opened to patients in late 2008. The first hospital to open in Dubai Healthcare City, the facility can accommodate patients with a vast range of healthcare needs. With centers in cardiology, radiology, gynecology, trauma and endocrinology, the hospital is designed to provide the highest quality of healthcare now and in the future. The project is unique in its blending of healthcare and hospitality. It offers patients and families access to facilities typically found in luxury hotels: a heated indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna, Jacuzzi and gym. Another unique aspect of the project is the hospital’s VIP floor. With a separate entrance, elevators and valet service, this floor consists of 12 suites that are designed and furnished to provide the highest levels of comfort, including flat screen televisions with access to unlimited movies and Internet access.
University Hospital was recognized in the “Best Hospital Design – Future” category. As the centerpiece of Dubai Healthcare City’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Academic Medical Center, when complete in 2011, the 400-bed hospital will cover approximately 1.45 million square feet of program space. Designed to connect education, outpatient clinics, diagnostic service and inpatient care, the University Hospital creates an image both internally and externally of modern healthcare technology fused with the forms of traditional architecture of the Middle East. The project will set the standard for integrated cultural, educational and healing environments for both Dubai and the region. The design of the University Hospital draws its inspiration from traditional building forms – such as mashrabiya screens and thick masonry – translated into new building technologies. The project’s designers refer to this approach as Islamic Fusion, fusing new and old technologies to create a more self-sustaining building.
Considered one of the leading healthcare designers in the Middle East, Ellerbe Becket has completed the design of 5 million square feet of world-class healthcare facilities in the region in the past five years alone. In addition to The City Hospital and University Hospital, these projects include Sidra Medical and Research Center, the expansion of American Hospital Dubai, the Ras al Khaimah Hospital, and ASPETAR, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital.
Organized in tandem with the Hospital Build Middle East Exhibition and Congress, the Hospital Build Awards recognize excellence in design, operation and management of healthcare facilities in the Middle East. Click here to read more about the award winners.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in planning, architecture, interiors and engineering, with office locations worldwide.
