Meet George Smith, Senior Architectural Project Manager at Grady Memorial Hospital

George Smith has never met a stranger.  He gets my congeniality award for the week.  He should probably get the "Busiest Man on Earth" award as well.  When I walked into his office on the eighth floor at Grady, he was all smiles behind a desk with several piles of paperwork a foot deep.  No worries.  He assures me that he knows where everything is.

Two years ago I toured Grady with a group of classmates with George as our guide.  They were about to begin transforming the neonatal unit, making significant changes to the headwalls, finishes and lighting.  As part of this interview on September 18, 2013, I got to see the new neonatal unit fully functioning.  Wow!

http://www.knightarchitects.com/Featured-Project-Grady-NICU

As you can see, the circulation is greatly improved as is the lighting, acoustics, and overall feeling in this space.  

Grady has received Energy Star Certification for its energy efficient air control and LED lighting.  George says that Grady has been sustainable by using the existing building, changing their lighting, using energy efficient air control units, and using recyclable materials as much as possible.

Hospital design can be challenging because the technology changes more quickly than the architecture.  Many hospitals have been facing economic challenges and have closed their doors.  The Affordable Care Act, (or Obamacare), may provide even more challenges for hospitals when individuals have more choice as to where to receive treatment.  If George has it his way, Grady will be one of the most up-to-date hospitals in the United States.

The Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center provides state of the art equipment for the care of  patients with strokes, aneurysms, and epilepsy.

The Correll Cardiac Center at Grady was just unveiled this month.  George took me through the family waiting area which features some of the beautiful 3M resin panels in the form of sliding doors and decorative glass in-door panels.  He has been working on signage and way finding in the hospital and here is one of the new signs:

Of great architectural interest is the Chapel.  George Smith was active in the restoration of this Chapel, financed by the Goddard Family who financed it originally in 1958 with Philip Shutze as the architect.  The Goddard Chapel restoration won the Shutze Award for Craftsmanship in 2010.  George had it restored back to its original color which is a sort of putty color.  He describes its color and smooth finish as butter-like.

Finally, I asked George what advice he would give someone, like me, who is studying healthcare design.  He suggests we take nursing classes, keep up on trends, take mechanical classes and urban planning classes.  He says we should be familiar with zoning and circulation.  George said, "These help you see the relationships with people and operations."

Courtesy of George Smith, Senior Architectural Project Manager at 

Grady Memorial Hospital, part-time fisherman