Construction has begun on the first building at the AWSOM Whole Health Campus, a healthcare development spanning more than 120 acres in Bentonville, Arkansas.
The 709,000ft2 Center for Advanced Specialty Care is due to open in 2029. CannonDesign, an international architecture and design practice, is the lead architect, with its Yazdani Studio also involved in the campus design.
Specialist care centre planned for 2029 opening
The Center for Advanced Specialty Care will provide specialist and virtual healthcare services. Cardiac care will be delivered in partnership with Cleveland Clinic, while orthopaedics, gastroenterology and neurology will be among the other initial specialties.
The centre is the first building planned for the campus. Clinical facilities will be connected by gardens, courtyards, walking routes and public art.
CannonDesign said the masterplan was developed to avoid separating the buildings with large parking areas. The limestone bluffs, tree canopy and changing light of the Ozarks informed the layout.
Published renderings show a horizontally layered building with glazed elevations, vertical timber fins, planted terraces and a broad curved roof. The structure is set among trees and landscaped paths, with outdoor spaces extending towards the building.
Daylight and landscape views shape internal planning
Natural light and views have also influenced the internal arrangement. Offices and examination rooms will be positioned away from parts of the building perimeter, leaving daylight and landscape views accessible from circulation and shared spaces.
Care teams will work beside a window-lined corridor, with lounges and gathering areas located nearby. Dedicated respite rooms, quiet workspaces and collaborative areas are also planned for staff.
The approach makes daylight and views available across the building rather than concentrating them in enclosed rooms. Patients, families and care teams will be able to see the surrounding landscape as they move through the centre.
Landscape connects buildings across the campus
EDSA, a landscape architecture and planning firm, is leading the landscape design. Its plans include gardens, courtyards, trails, water features and restored natural areas.
Wood, stone and glass will be used across the buildings, while art is planned for the courtyards and walking routes. Therapeutic gardens and outdoor gathering spaces will be distributed around the campus.
PJ Glasco, project executive at CannonDesign, said the aim was for the architecture to support whole-person health rather than house clinical services.
Polk Stanley Wilcox is the local architect of record and Walter P Moore is the civil engineer. Nabholz and Flintco are managing construction.
