The SmithGroup was chosen to design Michigan’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital on the Grand Rapids campus of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

The award-winning design firm SmithGroup has been chosen to design Michigan’s first children’s rehabilitation hospital. The facility will be constructed on the Grand Rapids campus of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

The $60M project is a joint effort between Mary Free Bed and Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. It will be the nation’s ninth freestanding children’s rehabilitation hospital and one of only three located between the east and west coasts.

SmithGroup was selected after a comprehensive nationwide search. The design team has extensive experience creating innovative solutions in the healthcare industry, with expertise in rehabilitation and pediatric facilities.

SmithGroup’s health practice features a portfolio of rehabilitation and acute care hospitals in Michigan and across the country.

SmithGroup has received over 400 design awards in the past five years and ranked 5th in Building Design + Construction’s Top Architecture/Engineering Firms for 2022. The architectural, engineering, and planning firm spans 19 offices across the United States and China – with Michigan offices in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

Recent projects include:

  • Henry Ford Cancer Institute Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion in Detroit
  • Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California
  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center in Palo Alto, California;
  • Valley Children’s Medical Group Specialty Care Center in Bakersfield, California

“I’m eager to see what the combination of our rehabilitation specialists and the SmithGroup design team will create,” said Kent Riddle, president and chief executive officer of Mary Free Bed. “The children’s rehabilitation hospital will be a revolutionary resource enabling us to serve thousands of additional children each year with leading-edge treatment.”

The children’s rehabilitation hospital is a public-private funding partnership. Donations total $20M, with the remaining funds being requested from private donors and municipalities. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2024 and be completed in April 2026.

“We’re looking forward to bringing the best of our integrated practice to creating an iconic breakthrough building for Mary Free Bed,” said Ann Kenyon, vice president and health studio leader at SmithGroup, who will be the project’s principal in charge. “The new pediatric rehabilitation hospital will be a welcoming destination and gathering place that promotes healing and well-being for patients, their families, and the greater community.”

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