
Northwestern Medicine opened a state-of-the-art hospital in 2018, increasing the bed count to 210 for Lake County residents. The newly redesigned campus integrates health and wellness, which includes the healing benefits of nature. The outdoor space needed a design to complement the architecture and surrounding landscape while providing visual beauty and functionality.
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is recognized both locally and nationally as a top ranked hospital, focusing on complete patient care. The building also earned a Silver level certification for LEED BD+C within Healthcare as part of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Native plants and plentiful areas of green space help to contribute to the healing environment of the campus including walking trails which are open to the public. Pizzo & Associates helped with the native plant installation and on-going stewardship. Stewardship includes a wide range of maintenance covering remnant woodlands to newly installed wetlands, prairies, and bioswales.
Expansive prairies, wetlands, and woodlands showcasing the benefits of nature. The bioswales help the permeable paver parking lot allowing stormwater to infiltrate through the surface of the pavement to the ground below.
Additional information is available on Northwestern Medicine Campus Development.






Founded in 1988, Pizzo & Associates is one of the Midwest’s largest ecological restoration firms with over 170 industry awards. We have the experience and know-how to restore natural environments.
We work with a large variety of public and private landowners on habitat restoration projects of all sizes. We help with everything from installations to ongoing management, which is needed for optimal results.
We invite you to attend our annual Summer Solstice event. A day filled with engaging tours, presentations, industry discussions, and networking focused on ecological restoration and native plants.