The client’s vision for the Intermountain Kem C. Gardner Transformation Center was to create a building that accomplished three primary tasks. The architecture was to demonstrate and foster collaboration, a key aspect of Intermountain’s incredible success in effective healthcare delivery. Second, it was designed as a destination to create lasting connections between clinical leadership teams who occupy the building on a daily basis, and international non-Intermountain healthcare leaders who visit as students of the leadership programs. Third, the building was meant to celebrate the natural beauty of Utah.

An open, flexible workplace plan with a variety of co-working spaces and quiet rooms is central to the collaborative nature of the building. Providing a variety of work settings is a key aspect of the contemporary workplace environment. Narrow floor plates and thoughtful solar orientation allow for ample daylight and access to mountain views for everyone, minimizing the need for artificial lighting and adding to the vibrancy of the space.

The central gathering space on each floor serves both the workplace and educational wings, bringing people together around memorable views of the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountain ranges. The education spaces frame views to the mountains, Little Cottonwood Creek and the Regional Medical Center.

The building materials and forms are representative of the natural beauty of Utah. The gray stone and expansive views celebrate the majestic Wasatch Mountains. The striated red-brown terracotta cladding, undulating painted metal skin, and vertically connected interior spaces are architectural representations of the striking landscapes of southern Utah.

The extensive use of sustainable materials and changing natural light contribute to the well-being of the building inhabitants while the inviting LiVeWell© stair encourages movement, a key factor in health, productivity and innovation. This project was made possible by a generous donation of $20 million from philanthropists Kem and Carolyn Gardner.

Photography: Sean Airhart; Frank Oudeman