Silver Hill Hospital
Ackerman Center
Admissions
Named after Dr. Sigurd Ackerman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and President Emeritus, Richard Turlington Architects designed this new 12,000 sq. ft. cottage as a site for the admissions facility at Silver Hill Hospital. For patients and their families, this building is the physical threshold of the campus—it’s their first impression of this internationally renowned facility.
Patients’ initial transition from the outside world into the treatment center takes place in a beautiful English-style courtyard surrounded by a natural fieldstone wall. They enter through a colonnaded, trellised walkway with bluestone and painted Doric columns. A finished fir ceiling and copper rain chains add a soothing ambiance to the footpath. At the garden’s center is a gently flowing fountain fashioned from an antique 4’ diameter grinding wheel (these were common in the mills along the Silver Mine River). The water feature and foliage surround anxious patients with white noise and the fragrances of lilac and juniper. These were deliberate design solutions that help welcome guests into a space of hope.
The house’s exterior is low-key and welcoming. It meets the ground nicely with a stone foundation, and the exterior material palette uses cedar shingles, elegant French doors, and steep, standing seam copper roofing. These features complement the traditional cottage-style siding details. Additionally, the high-performance windows direct daylight into the rooms on all eight sides of the building.
Inside the building, we made choices that holistically reinforce an atmosphere of comfort and wellness. The exam rooms are efficient and compact, and there is a family resource center that doubles as a large conference room for staff. To tie the rooms together, we used cherrywood for the floorboards, wainscoting, interior doors, and cabinetry. We selected the furnishings with equal care. They include:
• Wool area rugs
• Colorful leathers
• Vivid fabrics
• Oil-rubbed bronze appointments
The finished aesthetic and spatial experience of the Sigmund Ackerman Center underscore the hospital’s respect for its patients. As their self-worth increases in this strategic healing environment, their recovery can begin.