Construction has began on the Mercy Ballas Multispecialty building, located at the corner of Ballas and Conway Roads in St. Louis, Mo.

The state-of-the-art outpatient center is a collaboration with Blue Cottage of CannonDesign, Alberici/KAI, a joint venture of Alberici Constructors, Inc. and KAI Enterprises.

With more than 272,000 SF of space, the high-tech, five-level outpatient center will be designed around an unparalleled patient experience and plans to open in spring 2023.

“The new facility is one of many Mercy locations in the region, but it will be a pivotal project for care in St. Louis and nationally while building on the powerful Mercy brand,” said , director of CannonDesign’s health practice.

“Incredibly future-focused concepts are embedded throughout this project to make healthcare more personal, more efficient, more effective, all to produce better experiences for the future.

The building itself is deeply rooted in Mercy’s thoughtful brand standards. The exterior embraces the history and vision of its founder, Sister Catherine McAuley, with crosses incorporated in the exterior glass, a nod to her praying toward window panes shaped like a cross. A visual lantern space pays homage to the light Sister Catherine used to hang in her window as a lantern of hope.

Transforming the patient experience was a priority for this space, and the collaborative team drew inspiration from world-class, consumer-focused brands outside health care to design personalized experiential expectations.

“From the moment we engaged with the incredible leadership at Mercy, we knew going beyond health care for inspiration was the only way to achieve the remarkable experiences desired,” said Brandy Houston, senior vice president and co-Leader of strategy for Blue Cottage of CannonDesign.

“The Mercy team had an incredible drive to innovate, think outside the box and embrace ingenuity. That passion to work together toward this common, remarkable goal is reflected in every detail and decision – from culture to experience to technology and environment," Houston said.