Medical Construction & Design (MCD) is the industry's leading source for news and information and reaches all disciplines involved in the healthcare construction and design process.
Issue link: https://mcdmag.epubxp.com/i/935388
W hen it comes to medi- cal design, the greatest challenges can become the greatest successes. The Cooperman Family Pavilion is a 241,000-square-foot addition to Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey — the fl agship facility of RWJBarnabas Health. The expansion, of- fi cially opened in September 2017, was de- signed over the course of a year and a half with fl exibility and adaptivity at its core. The Cooperman Family Pavilion was generated from a much smaller project — a simple master plan developed to expand the facility's lobby, same-day surgery center and a few administrative offi ces. The project team suggested that to meet the ambitious 10-year facility expansion goals of Dr. John F. Bonamo, M.D., MS, FACOG, FACPE, chief medical offi cer of RWJBarnabas Health, that Saint Barnabas think more holistically by continuing to build and expand. Eventually, the team was tasked with providing a platform for converting the facility to all private rooms, replacing the neonatal intensive care unit, expanding a number of diagnostic programs and creating an entirely new entrance for the hospital. The project team began by conducting in-depth industry research and evaluating precedents, but also understanding Saint Barnabas' staff needs, goals and stressors was the driving point for the expansion design. Daily operations were observed to truly get a feel for how their doctors, nurses and patients interacted within the spaces and how the fl ow of the existing facility operated. All hands on deck The ideas for the design came from the client's team. In fact, over the course of a year and a half, over 35 full days of time were spent in the owner's boardroom listening, designing and planning. The design of this project was completely consensus-driven; all of these meetings acted as open forums where the team, including stakeholders, clinical users, support department representatives, architects, engineers and designers, all played key roles in the development of the design. Town hall-style meetings were held with neighbors and community members to hear their concerns and perspectives. Everyone involved was able to positively infl uence the design solutions, and the team at Saint Barnabas truly owned the vision for the project. There were several major design challenges. It was clear from the beginning that anything put into the building needed to provide a return on the capital investment. Additionally, the original hospital dates back to the 1960s and, before this expansion, it has never been signifi cantly updated to foster a more holistic, sustainable approach. Exterior Photo: Chris Cooper MCDM AG.COM | JA N UA RY/ F EBRUA RY 2018 | Medical Construction & Design 23 From left: The exterior fa ade of the site is the new anchor point for the entire building. Arriving outpatients and visitors come in through this main entrance to a two-story lobby fi lled with natural light. > Natural light-infused main lobby reception area.