Healthcare Design - November 2017 - 17

ROUNDING UP

Akron Children's Hospital Mahoning Valley -
Building A addition, Boardman, Ohio, completed
June 2017

SCOTT PEASE PHOTOGRAPHY

Circular cutouts funnel natural light into the second-floor seating area. Fun animal
sculptures and warm, inviting finishes provide places for discovery and relaxation.

HE BUILDING A addition on the Akron Children's Hos-

pital Mahoning Valley campus consolidates services
previously located at multiple locations. Bringing together the organization's primary and specialty care
offerings in Boardman, Ohio, the 55,800-square-foot
addition enhances access and connectivity. Patients
and families who traditionally had to visit multiple
specialists at varying sites can now schedule their appointments in one building, on one day, with diagnostic testing, special
procedures, and emergency services also offered there.
Designed by Hasenstab Architects (Akron, Ohio), the project carries elements of convenience and accessibility throughout the two-story addition,
with one regionalized registration desk and a main corridor with shared
waiting areas for all practices. The second floor is identical to the first for
easy wayfinding. This simplified design eliminates confusion and reduces
the distance patients and families must travel to find their destination.
This layout was achieved by creating clinical space that can be shared by
multiple specialties. A total of 47 exam rooms are arranged into three practice areas for primary care and medical and surgical specialty groups. Any
specialty can be scheduled in any universally designed exam room, maximizing schedule flexibility. A sports rehabilitation area rounds out the services offered in the new addition.
To ensure functionality and usability, full-scale cardboard mock-ups of
the entire facility were constructed during design. Hospital administrators, patient families, staff, and construction team members were engaged
during three-day workshops to test various setups and layouts as the design was further refined. These exercises, as well as other Lean tools, were
utilized to achieve an efficient and effective facility.
One of the challenges facing the design team was the lack of a clear entrance. The addition creates a new, obvious front door, with a modern glass
atrium providing a facelift to the campus but still complementing and
blending seamlessly with existing buildings.
Interior design elements reinforce a "reconnecting with nature" theme
that reflects the surrounding park system. Images of butterflies, birds, and
turtles are carried throughout the space with graphics, signs, and textiles,
to enhance wayfinding and provide positive distractions. Brightly colored
play areas provide engaging spaces for patients to wait for appointments.
Branding elements, such as circular cutout details and large mural graphics, were carried over from Akron Children's Hospital Kay
Jewelers Pavilion in Akron, Ohio, to create a sense of connection between the two campuses.

NOVEMBER 2017

Healthcare Design - November 2017

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