Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, one of the premier cancer treatment hospitals in the world, had a problem. A recent analysis of patient volumes showed that it would run out of space for new construction at its Upper East Side campus in Manhattan in just a few years. It did own a site at East 61st Street and York Avenue, near the East River and seven blocks from its main campus at 1275 York. But the parcel was only 100 by 115 feet. On top of that, it was also within a floodplain.
MSK had never built on such a small site. “We realized that we would be developing a new paradigm,” says Suzen L. Heeley, IIDA, LEED AP, MSK’s Executive Director of Design and Construction. The design would have to take into account all support services and staff needs, since staff would be in the building for their entire shift.
The solution: go vertical. The result, devised by MSK and its architect, Perkins Eastman, is the 179,000-sf, 16-story Josie Robertson Surgery Center, which opened in December 2015.
Perkins Eastman addressed the floodplain problem by moving the mechanical systems to higher floors, “hardening” the building against flooding, says Jeffrey Brand, AIA, EDAC, Principal. Several variances were also required, including one for the surgical program, which called for uninterrupted floor plates. Operating rooms were stacked vertically on three floors, with care areas designed for specialty procedures.
Accommodating three elevators (one each for the public, patients, and service staff) reduced the floor plate to about 8,000 sf, forcing the hospital and its Building Team to come up with what Heeley calls “a new architectural and operational model.”
A key goal of the center is to limit patient stays to a few days, so encouraging patient mobility is important. (Only a small percentage of the surgery center’s patients get admitted to MSK’s main hospital.) The recovery area includes a figure-eight corridor to encourage patients to move around. They have to leave their beds to get breakfast.
The patient experience has been enhanced from admission to release, says Heeley. The waiting area features The Beehive, a reception kiosk for checking in. Patients are assigned a designated caregiver and given a location badge, which tracks their movements throughout the stay in real time. In the first six months of operation, the badges (from HealthLoop) recorded 248,000 patient touch points.
The waiting area also has “campsites,” where patients and families can gather without having to move a lot of furniture. Brand says these areas are like living rooms, with a food bar, a business center, a library, and places where children can play Wii.
Staff comforts were not ignored. The design infuses plenty of daylight throughout the core of the building. The staff-only top floor, known as The Mixing Bowl, provides food service, conference and business areas, and spaces where clinical staff can mingle informally. Other rooms include The Soap Box (for dining and meeting) and places for computer workstations.
The building has become so popular with staff members that there’s currently a waiting list of employees who want to work there.
Josie Robertson borrows many of its design and construction ideas from the hospitality sector. Perkins Eastman collaborated with the New York–based interior design firm iCrave—known primarily for its restaurant and airport work—to make the interior spaces emulate a home-recovery experience.
The walkways in the post-anesthesia care floors are filled with artwork. There’s room for patients to exercise and socialize. Wood finishes, with their soothing, organic texture, are prevalent throughout.
“We wanted something different,” says Heeley. She admits that MSK’s leadership was nervous about bringing in iCrave, but felt confident that Perkins Eastman, which has been designing for MSK for decades, had the healthcare chops to keep the project on track. Controlling the budget did take some “curating,” she says, when it came to choosing lighting, furniture, and flooring.
Heeley says that elements of the Josie Robertson concept will inevitably find their way into future MSK projects, including the 750,000-sf Robert Koch Center for ambulatory care. “We’re designing in a flexible way to be able to make changes quickly,” she says.
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 5, 2017
Home away from home: Children’s hospitals that soothe, support, and distract
Building Teams help children’s hospitals create a sense of normalcy for patients and their families.
Healthcare Facilities | Sep 1, 2017
Caring for caregivers
Many healthcare organizations are increasingly focused on designing amenities, policies, and workplaces to better support their clinicians, health providers, and administrators.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 30, 2017
Proactively addressing population health while improving access to care
The Golisano Center for Community Health offers integrated care to adults and children.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2017
Top 110 healthcare construction firms
Turner, McCarthy, and Skanska top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest healthcare sector contractor and construction management firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2017
Top 80 healthcare engineering firms
WSP, AECOM, and KJWW top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest healthcare sector engineering and EA firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 29, 2017
Top 125 healthcare architecture firms
HDR, HKS, and Perkins+Will top BD+C’s ranking of the nation’s largest healthcare sector architecture and AE firms, as reported in the 2017 Giants 300 Report.
Sponsored | Healthcare Facilities | Aug 28, 2017
McCarthy Building Companies helps make Marin County healthier
McCarthy will continue to lean on Bluebeam solutions to help solve the most critical issues, and to keep their information safe, secure, and organized.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 28, 2017
5 elements for a healthy medical lounge
When done right, medical staff lounges are an essential part of the healthcare workplace.
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 24, 2017
7 design elements for creating timeless pediatric health environments
A recently published report by Shepley Bulfinch presents pediatric healthcare environments as “incubators for hospital design innovation.”
Healthcare Facilities | Aug 23, 2017
The future of healthcare architecture: obstacles and opportunities abound
Our current political drama has made our healthcare clients view the future of their business environment in much the same way most of us approach the latest weather report, with skepticism, writes David H. Watkins, FAIA.