For over a century, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has served as a trusted hub of progressive healthcare and education. However, growing patient volume and aging infrastructure signaled a need for reinvestment. To address this, the system launched a multi-phased campus transformation—anchored by a new care tower designed to improve the quality, efficiency and dignity of care delivery.
Client
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Location
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Total Project Cost
$480 M
Project Type
Acute Care
Key Contact
Michelle Trott
Completed
2025
Size
330,000 sq. ft.
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Facilities Planning
Photographer
Sterling E. Stevens
Our healthcare practice team was engaged to help realize this next-generation facility. Spanning 330,000 sq. ft. across seven stories, the tower introduces a reconfigured main entrance and patient drop-off, setting the tone for hospitality and respect from the moment of arrival.
An expanded Emergency Department—now twice the original’s size—underscores the hospital’s role as the region’s only Level I adult and pediatric trauma center. In tandem, an adjacent 28-room surgical suite, centralized sterile processing department and 44-bed ICU ensure seamless continuity, reducing delays in urgent and routine care.
The interior layout was carefully envisioned to balance privacy with performance. Individual bays flank a 16-foot-wide central corridor, maximizing natural light, caregiver visibility and proximity. Decentralized nurses’ stations expedite response times, while intuitive circulation and nature views promote a sense of calm for patients and families.
Staff and students also benefit from enhanced environments. Daylit break rooms were thoughtfully positioned in offstage zones, providing moments of respite without interrupting clinical activity.
Behind the scenes, more than two years of intensive site preparation paved the way for success, including the demolition of a parking deck, relocation of the hospital’s helipad and rerouting of major utilities, all completed before construction began. Executed through an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model, the program brought designers, contractors and owners together from the outset, accelerating decisions, minimizing risk and keeping patient-centered goals at the forefront.
Today, the tower stands as a bold investment in the future of healthcare—one that reflects Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s commitment to excellence in medical treatment, education and community wellness across North Carolina.
