UCSD Hospital, San Diego

Showcase medical care project in San Diego

Holistic, both in terms of medical care and architectural style – this was the basic idea behind the “Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion” project in San Diego, USA. A health complex was constructed across an area of almost 15,000 square metres in the heart of the Health Sciences Campus of the University of California, combining multidisciplinary medical services and bringing together different disciplines and generations. The use of the right light played a special role in this project.

Completed in 2018 under the direction of CO Architects of Los Angeles and Spurlock Landscape Architects of San Diego, the building project cost 140 million dollars. The result: a new model of holistic patient care, from pharmacies and outpatient operating theatres to radiological examination units and stem cell transplantation. The architects gave each of the four storeys its own style and flooded them with daylight. The aim was to keep energy consumption to a minimum in order to meet the strict sustainability criteria of the LEED Gold Standard (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which are in fact 30 percent lower than the California Energy Code. The Code’s energy efficiency criteria have made California a pioneer in sustainable building for more than 40 years. Highly efficient BEGA LED luminaires play their part in the outdoor area of the Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion.

The inviting forecourt is illuminated by BEGA light building elements. Their reflectors, made of pure anodised aluminium, direct the light evenly onto the ground surfaces between plant beds, benches and the building entrance. In this way, the light building elements divide and structure the square with a wonderful ability to attract attention.

Highly robust BEGA bollards are placed in the plant beds along the edge of the footpaths leading through the grounds, which both illuminate the paths and beds, and guide visitors with their 360° light emission. The energy-efficient LED bollards feature innovative BEGA Thermal Management® technology, which significantly extends their service life by protecting them from overheating.

BEGA recessed wall luminaires with asymmetrical flat beam light distribution are particularly suitable for the glare-free illumination of ground surfaces from a low installation height. They are built into the walls next to the entrances and exits of the Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion to allow for safe orientation. The luminaire housing and trim ring of these luminaires are made of stainless steel – a special material that accentuates the extraordinary architecture, even during the day.


Client UC San Diego Health

Architect/Interior Designer CO Architects

General Planner Rudolph & Sletten

Landscape architects Spurlock Landscape Architects