Rogers Memorial Hospital, Brown Deer, Wis.
Retrofit Team
Architect: TWP Architecture, Elm Grove, Wis.
General Contractor: VJS Construction Services, Pewaukee, Wis.
Glazing Contractor: Simmons Building Products, Milwaukee
Materials
Simmons Building Products installed 70 SEAL 2187-DT interior accessory windows. SEAL is an acronym for sound, energy, air and light, representing the improved energy efficiency and acoustic comfort the windows offer.
Engineered for high-performance in health-care settings, including psychiatric care, the DT windows are drop-tested for interior human impact up to 2,000 foot-pounds per AAMA 501.8-12. Two thousand foot-pounds of energy, as imparted by the human impact drop test apparatus, simulates the shoulder impact of a 200-pound person moving at 25 feet per second.
John Curran, ALA, TWP Architecture’s principal-in-charge, explains: “Around the perimeter of the building, we were able to maintain the glass, light and views. If you eliminate the glass, you create an unpleasant, institutional feel. Using Wausau’s SEAL units, we didn’t have to replace the existing windows. Instead, we added the SEAL unit and upgraded the patient areas to the necessary safety levels. We don’t want anyone to get hurt from breaking a window.”
SEAL windows also feature an overlap sash design, rather than a flush sash, to make them more resistant to patient tampering and prying. Integral between-glass blinds minimize maintenance, reduce solar-heat gain, and offer privacy without the potential dangers of exposed cords and slats.
Contributing to health-care facilities’ environmental goals, all of Wausau’s SEAL window products are available with high recycled aluminum content. The windows’ frames are finished with a warm Dark Bronze anodize, which is easy to clean and resistant to marring.
Glazing Systems, Window Manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems
Glazing Systems, Finishing: Linetec
The Retrofit
Rogers Memorial Hospital celebrated its completed renovation in April 2015. The 50,000-square-foot, 56-bed facility now offers inpatient care for children and adults diagnosed with anxiety, depression, addiction and other behavioral-care needs.
The Brown Deer location is the first Rogers facility to incorporate biophilia into its design. Biophilia design recognizes the way humans emotionally connect to nature and natural Earth forms and aids in a patient’s healing process. “We know that environment is an important part of getting well. We wanted to bring the outdoors and elements of nature inside as much as possible,” said Jim Kubicek, vice president of operations for Rogers Memorial Hospital—Brown Deer.
Helping achieve this, TWP Architecture addressed the hospital’s aesthetic renovation needs and performance upgrades to meet current codes and standards. Curran notes, “Built in the ’80s, the building was not very inviting. It had these narrow, dark-tinted windows cut into the masonry wall that gave it a prisonish look. We didn’t have a lot of money to work with but wanted to completely change that first impression. We added an interior living green wall to bring the biophilia concept indoors and opened up the entry with lots of natural light to give it a bright, welcoming feeling with views to the nicely landscaped grounds.”
Meeting the growing needs of the underserved area, Rogers Memorial Hospital–Brown Deer’s renovated facility now houses therapy rooms, a gym, training and educational spaces, admitting and registration areas, a kitchen and cafeterias, plus staff and administration offices.
“It’s like being outdoors,” states Roger Luhn, M.D., medical director for Rogers Memorial Hospital–Brown Deer. “The welcoming, organic, non-institutional entryway and concept that carries throughout the facility is really integral to our mission.”
“We are so proud of the efforts of everyone involved to add to our ability to help meet the great demand for this type of care,” adds Pat Hammer, president and CEO of Rogers Behavioral Health System. “After nearly 10 years in the area with a couple of our treatment programs, it was the right time for us to take this next step and broaden access to quality behavioral health for Brown Deer, northeast Milwaukee and the surrounding region.”
PHOTO: Erika Lee Photography, courtesy of TWP Architecture