CMTA’s lighting design at Baptist Health Hamburg has been recognized with the prestigious Illuminating Engineering Society Illumination Award of Merit! This award celebrates the collaborative effort of the entire design team in creating a lighting solution that prioritizes comfort, wayfinding, and efficiency, all tailored to meet the unique needs of the client and patients.
The new 339,400-square-foot Baptist Health Hamburg campus is one of Central/Eastern Kentucky’s most ambitious healthcare projects in the past 25 years. Located on a 129-acre site, it features a full emergency department, 24-bed clinical decision unit, imaging center, surgery center with 11 operating rooms, and a cancer center, significantly improving regional healthcare access. CMTA led the master planning and design, collaborating with Baptist Health to create a sustainable, energy-efficient facility. This comprehensive approach included performing sunlight studies to optimize window shading in strategic areas of the building, averting direct sunlight and keeping areas cool.
The facility was designed to address healthcare needs in underserved Central and Eastern Kentucky, where cancer and chronic disease rates are significantly higher than national averages. Featuring a cancer center, radiology clinic, emergency department, and specialty practices, the facility aims to improve health outcomes while creating 700 jobs, supporting a new fire station, and driving regional economic growth.
Built during the pandemic, the design team overcame challenges with innovative solutions like antimicrobial lighting, natural daylight integration, and wellness trails to enhance infection control and promote health. Despite supply chain disruptions, the facility was completed on time and within budget, providing a vital resource for generations to come.
The CMTA designed a cutting-edge lighting system designed for energy efficiency, patient comfort, and sustainability. Every LED fixture includes advanced dimming controls tailored to each space. Large exterior windows maximize natural daylight, complemented by solar shelves, roller shades, and photosensors that adjust artificial lighting to reduce glare and optimize comfort. Indirect lighting in corridors and recovery areas eliminates direct glare, enhancing patient experience.
Exterior lighting for trails and parking lots incorporates wireless controls, adjusting output based on time of day and occupancy. Custom light coves in lobbies, elevators, and imaging rooms reduce stress and glare. Specialized areas, like operating rooms, feature UV-free antimicrobial lighting to sanitize spaces when vacant. Radiology rooms include color-changing LEDs, such as Baker-Miller Pink, clinically shown to reduce stress.
The facility prioritizes energy performance, operating at just above 100 EUI, with lighting achieving 0.52 watts per square foot, far below code requirements. Outdoor fixtures are night-sky compliant to limit light pollution. Combining sustainable practices, innovative lighting, and patient-focused solutions, the hospital sets new standards in healthcare design, supporting over 16,000 procedures annually and improving quality of life for Central and Eastern Kentucky communities.