Bertrand's Phoenix Hospital
My first employed experience in the profession of architecture was under the leadership of architect Betrand Goldberg, after the construction of his clover leaf Good Samaritan Hospital on McDowel Road. Note, Betrand designed the iconic Marina Towers in Chicago. His Phoenix architect partner, Rusty McCaleb, locally guided that project and the adjacent rectangular support structures. Rusty opened the door for me, and almost instantaneously I was learning to draft, field measuring a children’s hospital during construction, photo documenting adjacent older medical facilities in preparation for interior remodeling and renovations, running errands, and brewing coffee.
A similar prototype is currently being replaced on Chicago’s Northwestern University Campus (controversial with the local and national design community “out with the old and in with the new”) . I suspect our Phoenix Goldberg hospital prototype may be subject to similar challenges. Great design remains fragile when subject to technological innovation and changing needs. In regard to healthcare vs architecture, who really cares? I suspect those with perceived better ideas and the means to build them. Historical preservation may not have won the battle in regards to Bertrand's Chicago hospital design, but I am confident design excellence will.
topic: building design