Project category: Addition (completed August 2004)

Chief administrator: Richard Seidler, President, (319) 235-3987

Firm: InVision Architecture, (319) 233-8419

Design team: Ron Teisinger, AIA, Principal-in-Charge; Jeff Oltmann, Associate AIA, Project Manager; Dan Lake, Technician; Renee Gingery, Interior Design

Photography: Dale Van Donselaar, Dale Photographics, Inc.

Total building area (sq. ft.): 50,600

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $144

Total construction cost (excluding land): $7,300,000


The creation of a secure, comforting, family-centered birthing unit and postpartum suites drove the design team’s vision in the creation of this LDRP facility.

The single-floor unit addition creates 12 LDRPs, 3 postpartum suites, 2 triage rooms, a cesarean suite, a 10-bed newborn nursery, and a 4-bed Level II NICU that offers semiprivate spaces for the newborn and family.

Through the use of a racetrack configuration with services centered between patient care spaces, the plan creates efficiencies in care delivery, as well as creating a circulation corridor and serving as a buffer between the two banks of LDRPs.

Stylistic faux columns are repeated throughout the unit. This element served as the inspiration for the free-form, wall-mounted tableaus that display sculptures created by local artists on backgrounds of richly colored art-glass tiles between the entrances to the suites.

The birthing suites provide comfort and ample room for the new families. Hospitality-grade finishes include custom maple casework that stores medical equipment out of sight but instantly accessible to staff. Providing a homelike atmosphere in the self-contained suites, amenities include a microwave and refrigerator for patient, family, and caregiver use.

Artwork created by local artists is used extensively throughout both public and private spaces. Larger-than-life professional photos of the unit’s staff and their children are located throughout the unit. A product of the early planning process, the photos reinforce the homespun flavor of the design.