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Architects: Mahlum
- Area: 28000 ft²
- Year: 2013
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Photographs: Ben Benschneider
Text description provided by the architects. The Pediatric Emergency Department is designed to provide an engaging, safe environment that eases potentially traumatic experiences for young patients. A series of respite spaces, both active and quiet, provide opportunities to decompress and offer views of the gardens and surrounding community.
As care delivery evolves in the era of healthcare reform, the client asked the design team to create opportunities to increase value and optimize their capital, human and financial resources. As a result, medical planning focused on increasing efficiency, sharing clinical resources and integrating families into the care continuum.
Tucked among the existing hospital structures, the design of the exterior creates an easily recognizable destination for patients and families. The prominent Red Lantern is a hallmark on the campus.
Within the clinical core, a central care team zone co-locates physicians, nurses and mid-level providers in close proximity to patient care areas, facilitating collaboration and reducing travel distance. The team zone accommodates flexing staff levels as patient census and acuity varies.
From project initiation, the team worked to achieve a set of operational, patient-centered, and community-focused outcomes, as well as an improved net-to-gross benchmark. Collaboration to achieve these outcomes drove the design process, informed each decision along the way, and ensured that clinical workflow and patient well-being drove the new pediatric emergency model.
Integrated sustainability was another early project objective; simple strategies included daylighting, indigenous landscaping and the use of recycled materials. More complex strategies includes energy reduction measures such as a heat recovery system that harvests heat from exhaust air to supplement boilers, and dedicated VFD fans that ramp up or down based on occupancy.
Finally, the new facility integrates the vision of the philanthropic Rypien Foundation to ensure that the patient’s perspective was always heard and respected. A major instigator for the project, the Rypien Foundation remained involved throughout the design process. Their activism and involvement greatly enhanced the patient experience, driving the integration of materials, graphics and artwork at every level. Through the foundation’s contributions and fundraising efforts, a sense of the community.
