A former ACME supermarket that sits adjacent to Virtua’s Health and Wellness Center in Moorestown, N.J. underwent a transformation to become the new Virtua Samson Cancer Center. The new facility accommodates radiation oncology, an infusion treatment suite, a cancer administrative suite, and a third party infusion practice.
The 66,000-sf facility’s high ceilings, large windows, artwork that depicts nature, and a garden visible from the infusion patient treatment spaces are meant to promote a sense of hope, serenity, and healing. Treatment rooms were strategically placed depending on those patients that are sensitive to natural light versus those who aren’t impacted by natural light. A substructure was implemented to allow the ceiling and lighting to be suspended from it, minimizing the need to build walls to the full height of the structure.
See Also: Working to reduce HAIs: How design can support infection control and prevention
The center’s entry uses semi-opaque white panels that collectively create a single, uniform object that can be seen from the street. The front elevation is off center and has three vertical columns that hold up a misaligned upper mass. The interior Main Gallery space can be seen from the exterior through a full-height glass opening and allows visitors to find their bearings from either inside or outside the building. The tall ceilings of the Main Gallery transition to more intimate seating and lounge waiting areas.
Related Stories
| Mar 6, 2013
Hospital project pioneers BIM/VDC-based integrated project delivery
The Marlborough (Mass.) Hospital Cancer Pavilion is one of the first healthcare projects to use BIM/VDC-based integrated project delivery.
| Mar 4, 2013
German healthcare design specialist TMK Architekten joins HDR Architecture
TMK Architekten • Ingenieure, one of Germany’s leading healthcare architecture firms, announced today that it is joining forces with HDR Architecture, the world’s No. 1 healthcare and science + technology design firm. The merged company will conduct business as HDR TMK, and will be the hub for the firm’s healthcare and science + technology design programs in Europe.
| Feb 26, 2013
Tax incentive database for reflective roofs available
The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) and the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) created a database of current information on rebates and tax credits for installing reflective roofs.
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 18, 2013
Syracuse hospital using robots to reduce infections by 50%
Fast Company's Nina Mandell writes about how an early adopter of UV infection-control robotics—St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse—is seeing positive results.
| Feb 15, 2013
Preservation lawsuit over Chicago's Prentice Hospital dropped
Preservation lawsuit over Chicago's Prentice Hospital dropped, freeing Northwestern University to demolish it and build a new research facility.
| Feb 14, 2013
5 radical trends in outpatient facility design
Building Design+Construction combed the healthcare design and construction sector to evaluate the latest developments in outpatient facility designs. Here are five trends to watch.
| Feb 14, 2013
Peter Bardwell named 2013 president of the American College of Healthcare Architects
The Board of Regents of the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA) has named Peter L. Bardwell, FAIA, FACHA of Columbus, Ohio as 2013 national President.
| Feb 6, 2013
George W. Bush Presidential Center among award-winning roofing projects honored by Sika Sarnafil
Winners of the 2012 Contractor Project of the Year Competition were announced this week by Sika Sarnafil. The annual competition highlights excellence in roofing installation. Roofing contractors are judged based on project complexity, design uniqueness, craftsmanship, and creative problem solving.