La Rabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago has named Loebl Schlossman & Hackl the architect for an interior renovation of 9,000 SF on the second floor. The purpose of the renovation is to create 11 single-occupancy inpatient rooms equipped for the care and monitoring of children who are technology dependent and require isolation. The space will be redesigned to accommodate new telemetry technology, upgrade adjacent nurse stations, improve mechanical systems, and add a new fire protection system. An overarching goal of the project is to mirror the hospital’s child-friendly nautical motif. The space, situated on the second floor of the 76-year old Black Building, is currently laid out as 12 double-occupancy rooms.
Project Management Advisors Inc., will provide program management on the project, and KJWW Engineering Consultants will provide MEP, structural, and IT engineering.
La Rabida, a private, nonprofit acute care hospital, specializes in the treatment of children with chronic illness, developmental disabilities, and those who have suffered trauma or abuse. The only hospital of its kind in the region, La Rabida offers outpatient and inpatient services and is licensed for 49 beds. Situated between Jackson Harbor and Lake Michigan and surrounded by water, the hospital has played a major role in Chicago’s healthcare delivery system since 1896. Following the 1893 World’s Fair, the government of Spain donated its exhibit hall—constructed as a replica of the La Rabida monastery in Spain—for use as a fresh air sanitarium for sick children. Throughout its long history, it has welcomed every child in need regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Today, La Rabida cares for 9,000 children each year, most of whom require medical management of complex and lifelong conditions.
In its 84th year, Loebl Schlossman & Hackl is a Chicago-based, multidiscipline architectural firm with a regional and international practice specializing in the design of Healthcare, Corporate Office, Higher Education, and Commercial Mixed-Use projects. The firm’s longstanding commitment to design excellence and innovation has been recognized by over 125 regional and national awards.
