Contract - October 2011 - (Page 85)

A table with chairs (top) provides a guest seating option for eating or playing board games, and connections between treatment pods are emphasized by diagonal lines of dropped-ceiling panels. Glass sliding doors (above) meet health codes, thanks to custom ZGF-designed handles. Modeled after New York’s pocket parks, this central space provides an area for patients, staff, and caregivers to mingle and relax. Lush tropical foliage spills from custom-designed planters with integrated upholstered seating and cozy throw pillows. Lounge chairs provide a view of a soothing water feature. A “farm table” accommodates meals or a game of bridge or chess. For those who crave a quieter experience, a library and reading nook are at the rear of the space. Though the central garden is truly an interior space and lacks windows, some light filters in from the lobby through a millwork element punctuated by openings. Indirect illumination mimics natural light, softly emanating from coves and recesses beneath the planters. The custom chemotherapy chairs are covered in padded yet durable vinyl, and outfitted with fold-up desks and swiveling touch-screens that allow patients to check email, shop online, watch television, listen to Pandora internet radio, play games, order lunch from local restaurants, or even chat with doctors via Skype. From the chair, patients can also control the pod’s lighting, selectively dimming fixtures. The design of the Brooklyn Infusion Center provides patients with the power of choice. While receiving treatment, one can stay in the pod or engage with others in the central garden. “Patients own this facility and design their own experience,” says Wendy Perchick, chief of strategic planning and innovation at MSKCC. The best testament to the success of this new model for cancer treatment? Perchick says, “A patient told me that he felt the healing intensified here because he was so relaxed.” Photos by John Bartelstone Photography Customized treatment pods Instead of standard hospital curtains, the treatment pods are separated from the central garden by sleek sliding glass doors. A custom fritted pattern provides some privacy, but maintains a visual connection. Each pod features a unique color scheme with painted accent walls and built-in banquette seating that accommodates several guests. Material cues invite the patients to make themselves at home: the woodtone portions of the millwork are meant for storing their belongings, while the white Corian® areas are intended for staff use and conceal chemo supplies. MSK Brooklyn Infusion Center. Architect ZGF Architects LLP. Client Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Where Brooklyn, New York. What 7,745 total square feet on one floor. Cost/sf Withheld at client’s request. For a full project source list, visit www.contractdesign.com. www.contractdesign.com contract october 2011 85 http://www.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2011

Contract - October 2011
Contents
Editorial
Industry news
Product briefs: healthcare
Product focus: caregivers need care, too
Product focus: above + below
Product focus: glass for health
Advancements made in evidence-based healthcare design
The power of design
Less clinical, more hospitable
Beautifully lean
Raising the bar
New life
Urban sanctuary
The 2011 healthcare environment awards
Designers select: healthcare products
Ad index
Perspectives

Contract - October 2011