The 215,000-square-foot facility, which houses a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), neurology unit, bone marrow transplant unit (BMTU) and a cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU), employs evidence-based design techniques to meet the unique healing needs of children. Namely, these techniques include access to daylight and nature, as well as ample opportunities for social interaction with family and peers.
Likely the first thing children and their families notice about the new private patient rooms at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is the generous space they provide for visiting family members. Designing for family bedside visits ensures that children have a sense of comfort and social support while they are healing.

Beyond the patient rooms, “Wonder Rooms” throughout the hospital allow children to take their minds off their illness or injury, encouraging them to interact with textured surfaces and other playful objects for a multi-sensory experience. The “Family Rooms” provide a calming respite for parents, siblings, and other visitors.
Programmatically, the building is divided into three distinct “zones”—family, patient, and caregiver—though all three flow together seamlessly.  Wayfinding is simple and art-driven. And LEAN design principles enhance staff efficiencies and productivity.
Patients and their families will also notice the building’s exterior, shaped like a prism and lined with windows on the western façade. These windows usher in an abundance of natural light while helping mitigate the South Florida heat through their varying degrees of translucence. The building’s unique form is intended to represent community outreach and togetherness.
Strategically placed windows help to soften the transition between the outdoors and the indoors. Once outside, patients and visitors can enjoy a verdant courtyard that is shielded from the sun by tree canopies, providing not only a comfortable temperature, but also direct access to and engagement with nature.

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firm PERKINS + WILL
role DESIGN TEAM, INTERIORS
[DD, CD and CA ]
client  NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
location MIAMI, FL
date  2017

DESIGN CONCEPT

What if a Hospital could transform into a theater every night?