Shive-Hattery Architecture + Engineering | Mary Greeley Healing Garden Hardcover Journal
Staff at the cancer center of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames wanted to transform a blank greenspace outside its entrance into a place where patients could decompress and potentially heal more quickly. A Healing Garden was created in partnership with Shive-Hattery that lets patients connect with nature in a calming way while receiving infusions or waiting for appointments.
A variety of gardens were created in different zones to suit diverse tastes. A pollinator garden offers native butterfly milkweed, bee balm and coneflowers to create habitat and add vibrant color to the garden, maximizing the benefits to people and the ecosystem. A sensory garden includes fuzzy lamb’s ear, lavender and lilacs for scent, ornamental grasses that can be heard blowing in the breeze, and blueberries. The Healing Garden also includes a salvia garden, shrub garden and shade garden. Creating different garden zones – as well as 3D graphics to showcase the project – helped the hospital sell the project to donors.
A wheelchair-friendly strolling path lets visitors meander through the different gardens at their own pace. A small basalt water column was installed along the path to add the relaxing sound of water running. The water feature is self-contained for easy maintenance. Outlets in the garden let patients plug in for treatments or personal devices, and arches along the pathway provide light sources while also framing the space. The outlets and lights also make it possible for the hospital to host nighttime events.
The medical center wanted to offer shade options using two pergolas, including one in the center of the garden that would be free-standing. Negotiations with the City of Ames were necessary not only for the pergolas but also to address the City’s greenspace requirements. By framing the project as a pedestrian space, the seating areas and pathway didn’t count against the amount of greenspace, and a special variance cleared the way for the pergolas. During construction, more design solutions needed to be found to address Covid-related construction delays to allow the Healing Garden to open on time and still fulfill the wishes of stakeholders.
Mary Greeley’s new Healing Garden offers a welcoming and less stressful entrance experience for cancer patients, as well as adding visibility to the medical center from busy Duff Avenue. Not only patients but staff also enjoy spending time in the gardens, with a variety of seating options to get visitors immersed in nature. While the in-ground plants are perennials, the medical center partnered with the Master Gardeners in Ames to help maintain the planters with annuals to add vibrant colors
Meet Shive-Hattery –
Shive-Hattery Architecture + Engineering has been shaping the Built Environment since 1895 and have extended their reach across the Midwest with 16 offices strategically located in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin. Their wide footprint allows the team to serve a variety of client types and provide expertise where it’s needed most.
The Shive-Hattery team strives to exceed client and community expectations and will enjoy access to the industry’s best. Their professional team considers the needs, goals, and concerns in every decision they make. Clients will receive innovative and beautiful work as well as a partner who understands that successful projects start with building a solid relationship.
Shive-Hattery is deeply motivated to design what matters most and their culture is rooted in a simple yet profound principle which is to design what matters to make the world a better place. Through this principle, their approach is relationship driven and upholds their commitments to the people and communities they serve.
“We take pride in seamlessly integrating our expertise with customized solutions to deliver extraordinary outcomes for our valued clients.”
The Shive Team
• High quality print, clarity and color true to photo image
• Cover material: UltraHyde hardcover paper
• Size: 5.5" × 8.5" (13.97 cm × 21.59 cm)
• Weight: 10.9 oz (309 g)
• 80 pages of lined, cream-colored paper
• Matching elastic closure and ribbon marker
• Expandable inner pocket
Staff at the cancer center of Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames wanted to transform a blank greenspace outside its entrance into a place where patients could decompress and potentially heal more quickly. A Healing Garden was created in partnership with Shive-Hattery that lets patients connect with nature in a calming way while receiving infusions or waiting for appointments.
A variety of gardens were created in different zones to suit diverse tastes. A pollinator garden offers native butterfly milkweed, bee balm and coneflowers to create habitat and add vibrant color to the garden, maximizing the benefits to people and the ecosystem. A sensory garden includes fuzzy lamb’s ear, lavender and lilacs for scent, ornamental grasses that can be heard blowing in the breeze, and blueberries. The Healing Garden also includes a salvia garden, shrub garden and shade garden. Creating different garden zones – as well as 3D graphics to showcase the project – helped the hospital sell the project to donors.
A wheelchair-friendly strolling path lets visitors meander through the different gardens at their own pace. A small basalt water column was installed along the path to add the relaxing sound of water running. The water feature is self-contained for easy maintenance. Outlets in the garden let patients plug in for treatments or personal devices, and arches along the pathway provide light sources while also framing the space. The outlets and lights also make it possible for the hospital to host nighttime events.
The medical center wanted to offer shade options using two pergolas, including one in the center of the garden that would be free-standing. Negotiations with the City of Ames were necessary not only for the pergolas but also to address the City’s greenspace requirements. By framing the project as a pedestrian space, the seating areas and pathway didn’t count against the amount of greenspace, and a special variance cleared the way for the pergolas. During construction, more design solutions needed to be found to address Covid-related construction delays to allow the Healing Garden to open on time and still fulfill the wishes of stakeholders.
Mary Greeley’s new Healing Garden offers a welcoming and less stressful entrance experience for cancer patients, as well as adding visibility to the medical center from busy Duff Avenue. Not only patients but staff also enjoy spending time in the gardens, with a variety of seating options to get visitors immersed in nature. While the in-ground plants are perennials, the medical center partnered with the Master Gardeners in Ames to help maintain the planters with annuals to add vibrant colors
Meet Shive-Hattery –
Shive-Hattery Architecture + Engineering has been shaping the Built Environment since 1895 and have extended their reach across the Midwest with 16 offices strategically located in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Washington, and Wisconsin. Their wide footprint allows the team to serve a variety of client types and provide expertise where it’s needed most.
The Shive-Hattery team strives to exceed client and community expectations and will enjoy access to the industry’s best. Their professional team considers the needs, goals, and concerns in every decision they make. Clients will receive innovative and beautiful work as well as a partner who understands that successful projects start with building a solid relationship.
Shive-Hattery is deeply motivated to design what matters most and their culture is rooted in a simple yet profound principle which is to design what matters to make the world a better place. Through this principle, their approach is relationship driven and upholds their commitments to the people and communities they serve.
“We take pride in seamlessly integrating our expertise with customized solutions to deliver extraordinary outcomes for our valued clients.”
The Shive Team
• High quality print, clarity and color true to photo image
• Cover material: UltraHyde hardcover paper
• Size: 5.5" × 8.5" (13.97 cm × 21.59 cm)
• Weight: 10.9 oz (309 g)
• 80 pages of lined, cream-colored paper
• Matching elastic closure and ribbon marker
• Expandable inner pocket
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