600,000-Square-Foot, 500-Bed Facility Design to Focus on Flexibility and Sustainability; Services to Combine Best of the West with Best of the East

Nashville, Tenn. – August 26, 2009 - Gresham, Smith and Partners, a leading national architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firm, is pleased to announce it has been contracted by China Healthcare Corp. (CHC Healthcare) to design a healthcare facility in Cixi, China.  The 600,000-square-foot, 500-bed facility will serve the Zhejiang Provence Cixi Municipal Health Bureau and is being developed in partnership with the City of Cixi.  GS&P will partner with the Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design and Research (SIADR) for the full design process through completed construction.  The design will focus on flexibility and sustainability while offering this emerging suburban community the best of Western healthcare practices with the best of traditional Eastern practices.

Cixi Hospital will be located on previously undeveloped land and is initially designed to accommodate 500-beds with the ability to expand to 700.  Services provided will include diagnostic and treatment facilities, medical/surgical department, cancer center, intensive care unit, women's services, an emergency department and traditional Chinese medicine.  Three varying patient room designs are being developed with some designed for public care and additional beds  set aside for private-pay care that will offer a variety of amenities and privacy options to accommodate family members.  Development considerations were made regarding the ability to design and construct an additional bed tower in the future dependent on community needs. 

"We are excited by the opportunity to provide design services in support of CHC's venture into China," stated James W. Bearden, chief executive officer, Gresham, Smith and Partners.  "By understanding the goals of our client and having experience in meeting the demands and expectations of the Chinese market, our team is capable of developing a successful design.  In coordination with SIADR, we are focused on enhancing the overall staff and user experience through a design that supports improved operational processes, better patient and public flow and the flexibility necessary to serve this dynamically changing community."

Gresham, Smith and Partners has had a presence in China for more than seven years. The firm opened a representative office in Shanghai in 2008 to establish a consistent presence and further GS&P’s commitment to providing expert planning and architectural services within various markets to expanding urban communities and businesses throughout China.

With experience in corporate, healthcare and cultural related projects, construction is currently underway for GS&P-designed Theatre Putuo Zhoushan Opera House in Zhejiang Province southeast of Shanghai, China.  Construction completed in 2008 on GS&P-designed Jasper Tower, a 45-story, 800,000-square-foot, class A office building located in the Lu Jia Zui financial district of Shanghai.  Additionally, GS&P provided site planning, programming and schematic design services for the impressive Shenzhen Eye Hospital which is now complete. 

About GS&P:
Gresham, Smith and Partners provides design and consulting solutions for the built environment that contribute to the success of national and international clients.  For more than 40 years, GS&P has focused on enhancing quality of life and sustainability within communities.  GS&P consists of industry-leading professionals practicing architecture and engineering design as well as scientists and highly specialized planning and strategic consultants in Aviation, Corporate and Urban Design, Environmental Compliance, Healthcare, Industrial, Land Planning, Transportation and Water Services.  GS&P consistently ranks among the top architecture and engineering firms in the United States.  For more information regarding GS&P, visit www.gspnet.com.