
01 Jul EwingCole Receives 2024 Healthcare Design Award for Essentia Health’s St. Mary’s Medical Center

EwingCole Receives 2024 Healthcare Design Award for Essentia Health’s St. Mary’s Medical Center
EwingCole is thrilled to share that it has been awarded a 2024 Healthcare Design Award by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for the outstanding design of Essentia Health’s St. Mary’s Medical Center. This award recognizes innovative projects that tackle aesthetic, civic, urban, and social challenges while upholding functionality and sustainability and sets a new benchmark for the architectural community. The winning projects encompass a wide range of healthcare facilities, from outpatient to wellness centers, and serve as a source of inspiration for future designs.
“We are deeply honored to receive the 2024 Healthcare Design Award from the American Institute of Architects for our work on Essentia Health’s St. Mary’s Medical Center,” said Robert McConnell, AIA, President of EwingCole.” Our team worked tirelessly to ensure that St. Mary’s Medical Center embodies innovation, efficiency, and a deep connection to the essence of Duluth’s community and Essentia Health’s dedication to its patients. There are many to thank, and this award is a testament to the collaborative effort and vision shared with Essentia Health to redefine the future of healthcare design.”
The project principal, Oscar Gomes, PE, the project design principal, EwingCole’s Regional Director of Design, Saul Jabbawy, and Principal Deborah Phillips accepted that award at the AIA24 Conference on Architecture & Design in Washington, D.C., on June 6th.
Take a tour of the 2024 Healthcare Design Award winner:
Essentia Health, headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, integrates the skills and dedication of over 15,000 employees, including more than 2,200 physicians and advanced practitioners. The organization is committed to making a healthy difference in people’s lives, a mission beautifully embodied in the new St. Mary’s Medical Center.
St. Mary’s Medical Center, a significant regional investment, sets a new standard for healthcare facilities. EwingCole’s innovative design consolidates Essentia Health’s various facilities into a single, sustainable environment that challenges contemporary healthcare design strategies and enhances efficiency in healthcare delivery. The vision was to create a hospital that is not just functional but also comfortable and welcoming for patients, visitors, and staff alike. Public areas exude the warmth of hospitality spaces, utilizing natural materials and themes that promote healing and connection to nature, fostering a sense of community.
The project features 815,000 square feet of new construction and 115,000 square feet of renovated space. The exterior façade’s lower levels reflect the historic brownstone architecture of downtown Superior Street. In contrast, the upper levels and patient tower feature a glass façade inspired by the nearby lake’s surface. Inside, visitors are treated to a vertical, living museum celebrating Duluth’s rich history and natural beauty, complete with a roof garden overlooking Lake Superior.

The medical center’s interior design – recipient of the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) Best of the Year Award – mirrors Duluth’s landscape, incorporating native plants, green spaces, and regional graphics. Each floor draws inspiration from one of Duluth’s natural landscapes, creating a cohesive and soothing environment. The inpatient tower houses 344 beds, 342 of which are private rooms designed to ensure patient safety, ease of care delivery, and the aesthetic appeal of an upscale hotel room. Large windows provide breathtaking views of the lake or hillside, while wood soffits, wood-look flooring, decorative lighting, and landscape imagery add to the rooms’ hospitality and warmth, prioritizing patient comfort and safety.

EwingCole’s St. Mary’s Medical Center design, recognized with the 2024 Healthcare Design Award, exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to healthcare design, enhancing patient outcomes and community connection. This award underscores EwingCole’s commitment to creating functional, sustainable, enriching, and supportive environments for all who use them, inspiring pride in our achievement and the potential for future innovation.
CLICK HERE to learn more about this project in EwingCole’s latest issue of Momentum Magazine.