Children & Families Come First in Design

A world-class pediatric facility, American Family Children’s Hospital, addresses the unique emotional and physical needs of children. Previously, pediatric spaces were dispersed throughout the adjacent University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics facility. The new hospital needed a distinct identity — one that was family-centered and patient-friendly inside an imaginative atmosphere. Diverse stakeholders contributed to the project’s vision, which resulted in a state-of-the-art hospital that has successfully grown and expanded as needs have changed and technologies introduced.

Key features of the children’s hospital include:

• A two-story, light-filled lobby welcomes patients and families.
• The building’s scale was carefully designed to best relate to its residential neighbors, with punched windows, colonnades and roof overhangs affording a pleasing street-level appearance.
• On each floor, furnishings, finishes, wayfinding and artwork were carefully chosen to celebrate various “All Things Wisconsin” interior design themes.
• To protect privacy and dignity, patient rooms were sized to provide ample space and amenities for families to participate in care giving.
• Large windows with spectacular views integrate a healing connection to nature.
• Decentralized nurse and supply stations, charting areas outside patient rooms, bedside medicine and supplies, sliding “barn” doors on bathrooms and non-slip surfaces help ensure patient safety and improve care and workflow.
• The new hospital’s vertical tower design maximizes square footage efficiencies on a tight site plan.