LAVONIA, GA

TY COBB REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

ENTRANCE PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

TY COBB “THE GEORGIA PEACH” 1886-1961

EARLY LIFE: Tyrus Raymond Cobb was born on December 18, 1886

in The Narrows, Georgia to mother Amanda Chitwood Cobb, and

father William Herschel Cobb. He was the eldest of three children

in the family, and began playing baseball at age six in Royston,

GA. His father greatly valued the importance of education; as he

was a teacher, principle, school commissioner and a state senator

throughout his lifetime. However, to his father’s initial disapproval, Ty

Cobb found his true calling in baseball. At age 17, Ty Cobb traveled

to Augusta, Georgia to try out for a team in the “Sally” league, but

came up short-handed. After sharing his initial disappointment with

his family, his father said, “Don’t come home a failure.” It was these

words of determination that gave Ty Cobb the drive to pursue his

passion, and ultimately succeed.

A BASEBALL LEGEND: Ty Cobb continued on his journey into

baseball history, playing a total of 24 seasons throughout his

lifetime. In 1907, he won nine consecutive batting titles, and also

led his team, The Detroit Tigers, to the World Series. Ty Cobb still

holds the highest batting average on record, accumulating a .367.

Cobb was also admired by players within the league for his great

athletic strengths, including speed, agility, and precision, as well

as his year-round mentally and physically strenuous conditioning

routines. When asked about the sport, his response was “Baseball

is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded man. It’s no pink tea, and

mollycoddles had better stay out. It’s a struggle for supremacy,

survival of the fittest.” In 1936, he became the first player inducted

into the baseball Hall of Fame. In 1942, a survey taken of the Major

League Managers named Ty Cobb, as the greatest baseball player of

all time.

INFLUENCE TODAY: Beyond his triumph on the field, Ty Cobb

was a savvy businessman, placing a large sum of his earnings into

wise investments. Towards the end of his life, he made generous

donations including starting a scholarship called the Cobb

Educational Fund, and a $100,000 donation toward his hometown

healthcare system to construct their first modern hospital. Ty Cobb

once said, “I regret to this day that I never went to college. I feel I

should have been a doctor.” His life has not only had a large impact

within the realm of “America’s Favorite Pastime”, but in the lives

of people within his community. His contributions far exceed his

lifetime, reaching beyond the past and present, and into the future.

PHOTOGRAPHER LEFT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

OUR DESIGN OBJECTIVES

IDENTIFYING THE NEEDS

The Earl Architects team was initially approached by the

community of Lavonia to assist in finding a solution to a

current dilemma they were facing: the community had

two healthcare facilities which were providing duplicate

services, and in turn, costing the community more than they

could afford. Both facilities needed significant infrastructure

improvements, but the EA team quickly realized the cost

of upgrading and expanding each facility would out-weigh

the cost of providing a new single facility. A replacement

hospital that consolidates all services into one location,

would provide a leaner, more cost effective solution to

support the growing needs of the surrounding counties.

THE “BEST PRACTICE” MATRIX

For planning the programmatic needs for the new hospital,

the team collaborated with the medical staff, board of

directors, and surrounding community to fully understand

and encompass the needs of the patients, family, visitors,

and staff. In addition to the collaboration process, Earl

Architects also utilized an in-house tool they have created,

called the “Best Practice Matrix.” This matrix has been

designed to simplify and prioritize the components of

LEED, LEAN, and Evidence-Based Design Principles, many

of today’s leading industry benchmarks of good design.

Utilizing the matrix throughout the programming, planning,

and design stages, Earl Architects can easily identify and

cross reference these priorities for a comprehensive design

strategy that can be carried throughout a project.

SITE SELECTION AND CONCEPT

From the three options given by the county for potential

building sites, the final decision was made to place the

facility on a 40 acre plot within a 200 acre property of

pristine pasture land. The natural beauty of the pasture

land with its rolling grassy hills, lush forested land, and

flowing creek, paired with its immediate proximity off the

I-85 corridor made for the perfect setting for the new Ty

Cobb Regional Medical Center.

The primary concept of the architectural design is to

highlight the natural setting of the region by promoting

a healing environment through views to nature and

maximizing the use of natural light. The facility rests on the

highest point of the property located closely to the rear of

the site, allowing for a grand procession through the natural

environment to the architecture. The curvilinear footprint

not only embraces the site and its arriving occupants, but

also provides flexibility for growth, along with convenient

access to the various departments. The shape compliments

the concept by contributing to the amount of daylight

entering into the facility. The curve also encourages clear

wayfinding through the main circulation, with a structured

organization of front of house/back of house distribution

of services and access. The glass inner curve serves as

the public “spine” and helps orient patients as they travel

through the hospital, while the outer curve divides into

the various departments, with patient rooms located on

the exterior wall for direct access to natural views and day

lighting.

PLANNING

DESIGN AND BUDGET:

Despite a tight budget, Earl Architects worked with the

entire project development team to create architecture

that programmatically fit the needs of the facility

and community, without compromising design or

functionality.

“Given the fact that we built this facility for what we

did, and given the restraints that we had, some people

ask, ‘Why in the world would you put so much design

effort into a project that had such a low budget?’ And

of course, our response always is, ‘That is all the more

reason that you need good design!’ We are always

striving to accomplish great design in a cost-effective

way.”

Rick Earl, Partner-In-Charge

GROUND LEVEL:

LEVEL 1:

0 130

LEVEL 2:

Lobby

Serving/Dining

Wellness and Fitness

Imaging and Emergency

Outpatient Services and Surgical Suite

Mezzanine and Family Wait

Women’s Health Center

Med/Surg Patient Room

MOB

A

A

B

B

C

C

C

D

D

D

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

6

6

7

7

8

88

9

9

9

GROUND LEVEL AND LEVEL 1

LOBBY

Entering into Ty Cobb, a two-story glass lobby allows

natural light to filter into the space, enhancing staff

and patient experience, while also minimizing energy

consumption. Research has shown that sunlight reduces

depression, lowers the feeling of fatigue, increases

alertness, and regulates circadian rhythms, ultimately

improving the psychological and physical state of the

patients and staff. Other features of the Lobby space

include views of nature, and various regional references

through materiality and imagery, in an effort to create

positive distractions and reduce anxiety in patients and

family.

1. Ulrich, R. S., Zimring, C., Joseph, A., Quan, X., & Choudhary, R. (2004). The role of the physical environment in the hospital of the 21st century: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Concord, CA: The Center for Health Design.

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND RIGHT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

1

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND RIGHT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

SERVERY AND DINING

The Servery, located on the Ground Level of the Medical Office Building, assists in

promoting wellness and good nutrition. Adjacent to the servery, Dining provides a

place for pause, with plenty of seating. The design also introduces an outdoor space,

bridging a connection from the inside to the outside.

WELLNESS AND FITNESS

The Wellness Center, located in the Medical Office

Building which is connected to the hospital, serves as

an Outpatient Rehabilitation Center and Community

Outreach Facility. A separate entrance allows for the

entire community to have access to the available

amenities, including a conference center. The exercise

space features floor to ceiling height windows,

implementing the recurrent theme of providing natural

views and daylight throughout the hospital.

PHOTOGRAPHER LEFT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

IMAGING

The Imaging Department features state-of-the-art

equipment, with the space designed to reflect modern

standard of care. The programmatic organization of the

department encourages efficiency of patient flow through

its strategic layout. Imaging is also directly accessible to

the Emergency Department, helping reduce nurse foot

traffic.

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND RIGHT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

OUTPATIENT SERVICES AND SURGICAL SUITE

A seating area located within the Gallery directly

correlates to the Outpatient and Surgical services to

assist with wayfinding. Photographs taken by members

of the community are featured in waiting spaces and

throughout the entire facility, promoting positive

distractions. The artwork highlights the unique character

and community of Lavonia by providing a visual narrative

of the community’s people, culture, and heritage. The

regional photography includes views of nature, as well as

local smiling faces which has been proven to positively

effect the moods of patients, family, and staff by

reducing levels of stress and anxiety. The design of the

surgical suite includes 4 OR’s employing state-of-the-art

technology, and all private Prep/Recovery spaces to allow

for maximum patient comfort and privacy.

2. Ulrich, R. S., & Gilpin, L. (2003). Healing arts: Nutrition for the soul. In S. B. Frampton,L. Gilpin, & P. A. Charmel (Eds.), Putting patients first: Designing and practicing patient-centered care (pp. 117–146). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND LEFT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

2

LEVEL 2

MEZZANINE AND FAMILY WAITING AREAS

Proceeding onto Level 2, the mezzanine contained

within the glass Lobby establishes a visual connection to

Level 1 and the facility entrance, allowing for convenient

orientation for patients and families. Clear wayfinding

promotes healing by providing the occupants with control

and a sense of empowerment, which in turn, reduces

anxiety and stress levels. As in Level 1, each department

has family waiting areas, which provide access to nature

and natural lighting for patients and family. Regional

references also continue through materiality, artwork, and

the community’s photography.

3. Passini, R., and Arthur. P. 1992. Wayfinding: People, signs and architecture. New York: McGraw-

Hill Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND RIGHT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

3

WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER

The Women’s Health Center creates a relaxing and

comfortable space by catering to the needs of both

the mother and child through patient-centered and

family-friendly design. All patient rooms include staff,

family, and patient zones for optimal patient care and

experience. These zones support patient, family, and

staff communication and encourages patients and

families to be advocates in their own care. The modular

configuration applied standardizes room organization,

allowing for consistent orientation of the medical staff in

an effort to reduce the potential for errors.

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND RIGHT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

MED/SURG PATIENT ROOM AND OBSERVATION STATION

A patient room that provides access to both natural light and views

to nature can increase patient well being; resulting in reduced stress

and anxiety, improved and faster post operative recovery, reduced

need for pain medication, and shorter hospital stays. Therefore,

patient rooms integrate floor to ceiling window walls to optimize

views to nature, and day lighting. Located directly outside the

patient room is a charting and observation station, in an effort to

reduce patient disturbances, enhance the feeling of privacy for the

patient, and improve observation for the staff.

4. Ulrich, R.S “How Design Impacts Wellness” Healthcare Forum Journal, September – October 1992 vol 35, pp 20-25

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND LEFT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

4

MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING

THE CONNECTION

The MOB directly links into the hospital, encouraging the partnership

between the physicians and the hospital, in an effort to improve

quality and the standard of care for patients. The first level contains

the Wellness Center and Dining area, with the two levels above

serving as administrative office space.

PHOTOGRAPHER ABOVE AND RIGHT: Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

ENTRANCE PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Roof @ Jim Roof Creative Ink

Earl Architects

301 N Main St. 17th Floor Greenville, SC 29601

www.earlarchitects.com