The award-winning design firm SmithGroup has been chosen to design Michigan’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. The facility will be constructed on the Grand Rapids campus of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.
SmithGroup has been honored with over 400 design awards in the past five years, and ranked 5th in Building Design + Construction’s Top Architecture/Engineering Firms for 2022. The architectural, engineering and planning firm spans 19 offices across the United States and China – with Michigan offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit.
The $60M project is a joint effort between Mary Free Bed and Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. It will be the ninth freestanding children’s rehabilitation hospital in the nation and one of only three located between the east and west coasts.
SmithGroup was selected after a comprehensive nationwide search. The integrated design team has extensive experience creating innovative solutions in the health care industry, with specialized expertise in rehabilitation and pediatric facilities. SmithGroup’s health practice features a strong portfolio of forward-thinking and renowned rehabilitation and acute care hospitals here in Michigan and across the country.
Recent projects include:
- Henry Ford Cancer Institute Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion in Detroit
- Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center in Palo Alto, California;
- Valley Children’s Medical Group Specialty Care Center in Bakersfield, California
“I’m eager to see what the combination of our rehabilitation specialists and the SmithGroup design team will create,” said Kent Riddle, president and CEO of Mary Free Bed. “The children’s rehabilitation hospital will be a revolutionary resource enabling us to serve thousands of additional children each year with leading-edge treatment.”
“We’re looking forward to bringing the best of our integrated practice to creating an iconic breakthrough building for Mary Free Bed,” said Ann Kenyon, vice president and health studio leader at SmithGroup who will be the project’s principal in charge. “The new pediatric rehabilitation hospital will be a welcoming destination and gathering place that promotes healing and well-being for patients, their families and the greater community.”
The children’s rehabilitation hospital is a public-private funding partnership. To date, donations total $20M, with the remaining funds being requested from private donors and municipalities. Construction is scheduled to commence in April 2024 and be completed in April 2026.
We’d love to hear from members of the public about what they’d like to see in a children’s rehabilitation hospital. Please email us your thoughts at kidshospital@maryfreebed.com.
SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the world’s preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 19 offices in the U.S. and China, a team of 1,300 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery. The scale of the firm’s thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces.
To learn more about the children’s rehabilitation hospital project click here .
