Healthcare Design - December 2014 - 43

Modern menu
A new dining space at UC San Diego Health System's Thornton Hospital
wins its category in this year's Remodel/Renovation Competition for its
take on a clean, sleek dining experience that lets the food stand out
By Jennifer Kovacs Silvis
AT ANY DINING facility, the food is the star. But in

UC San Diego Health System's (UCSD) servery at
Thornton Hospital, it wasn't shining very brightly.
The La Jolla, Calif., hospital was built in the
'90s and by 2010, the provider commissioned
RTKL to redesign and expand the dining space,
a 4,000-square-foot remodel that earned Best in
Category for dining facilities in the 2014 Healthcare
Design Remodel/Renovation Competition.
The renovation was driven by a growing number
of users, thanks to UCSD's new Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center and the in-progress Jacobs Medical Center addition. The existing dining area was
too small for the anticipated demand, and it also
presented a number of other challenges, including
its aesthetics.
"This area was covered with dark cherry wood
finishes and polished bronze accents, without
access to natural daylight. The overall light level
and color rendition weren't designed to address
the function and showcase the quality of food that
UC San Diego had to offer to the staff and visitors,"
says Jacky Yung, associate vice president at RTKL
(Los Angeles).
The team first set out to streamline the space to
address the projected volume of users while also
rectifying an existing tunnel-like entry by creating a
strong connection to the building's main atrium and
public circulation path.
"The layout of the space was designed to
maximize efficiencies and natural light coming in
from the courtyard. The design draws you in from
the hospital atrium and focuses on using color and
light to guide visitors seamlessly through the servery space. The focal point is in the center of the
room, with a unique and organic ceiling element,
anchored by an island, to act as a pivot point,"
says Elizabeth Grube, senior designer at RTKL
(Chicago).
Immediately notable in the new space is the
bright and very light color palette that "serves as a
white canvas throughout the server station counter
to showcase colorful, healthy food choices,"
Yung says. The modern take was complemented
by splashes of color inspired by the southern
California landscape, Grube adds, with cool blue

water tones used in the island ceiling element
and bold, warm colors reminiscent of sunsets
incorporated in a glass backsplash.
The new look was even translated to the
space's signage, designed by RTKL's in-house
branding team to seamlessly integrate with the
new design.

As one juror commented, "The renovated
space feels modern, fresh, and vibrant; the
branding and signage tie the overall design
concept together nicely. The cafeteria adjacencies and layout were also executed well." Added
another: "Well integrated graphics and interiors.
Color and organics successfully enliven the
space."
Overall, it's how the space feels that Grube
says she's happiest with: "It feels uplifting, fresh,
and inspiring."
For more on the project, see page 50. HCD

Materials such as tile, glass,
and quartz were selected for
the remodel of the servery at
Thornton Hospital for durability,
cleanability, and longevity.

Jennifer Kovacs Silvis is executive editor of
Healthcare Design. She can be reached at
jsilvis@vendomegrp.com.

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