Healthcare Design - October 2014 - 71

F FIRST LOOK | 10.14
Light show
The design of Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia Specialty Care Center,
King of Prussia, Pa., lets in the light
to help engage patients of all ages
By Jennifer Kovacs Silvis
In an effort to collocate its existing specialty care
practices and expand regional ambulatory care
and surgery services for patients in and around
King of Prussia, Pa., The Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia (CHOP) decided a freestanding

MORE ONLINE To view more images of this project, visit HCDmagazine.com/first-look-chop.

Finally, with budget in mind, higher-end
finishes were specified for such public areas as
the entry vestibule, check-in and registration,
and the main waiting areas only, and half of the
medical equipment and furniture going into the
new space will come out of existing practices.
Independent cost estimators were on hand
early, too, specifically to ensure that sustainable design strategies for the LEED Silvertargeting facility were used effectively. HCD

Do you have a new project on the boards? Email Jennifer Kovacs Silvis at jsilvis@vendomegrp.com for details
on how to contribute a First Look.

72

HCDmagazine.com 10.14

Playful colored glass panels
compose the curtain wall
of Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia Specialty Care
Center in King of Prussia, Pa.,
achieving shifting patterns
inside and out as light changes
throughout the day.
RENDERINGS BY EWINGCOLE

145,000-square foot Specialty Care Center would
fit the bill.
Designed to house urgent care, primary care,
specialty care, imaging, orthopedics, and physical and occupational therapy, the new building is
expected to be completed in 2015.
However, beyond the ease of access the
centralized facility provides, the goal of the building design, led by EwingCole (Philadelphia), was
to create an environment that boasted enough
visual interest that it wouldn't grow stale, even
numerous visits later.
The other sticking point: It had to maintain that
level of engagement for toddlers and teenagers
alike.
To that end, the team turned to creative building geometry and playful lighting and colors
to achieve all-ages accessibility-starting right
outside. The curtain wall is designed in a pattern
of colored and fritted bars of glass that shift in
appearance from day to night, an effect that continues inside as light passing through the exterior
reflects and refracts on interior spaces.
Internal areas rely on sloped and curvilinear forms, with a bold color palette inspired by
CHOP's standard scheme and used in gradients.
Wayfinding was a top priority, too, with distinct
circulation paths created for families, staff, and
supplies, while low-traffic areas are located on the
upper levels of the building to lessen the elevator
load. The first floor includes reception and registration; the second floor houses infusion, imaging,
and sedation and recovery; and the third floor is
slated for ambulatory surgery, a physical therapy
gym, and allergy and cardiac care.
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Healthcare Design - October 2014

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