Caplea Coe Architects, Inc. 

Critical overcrowding in an existing emergency department for both adults and children facilitated the need for a new space dedicated to serving pediatric patients only. The firm was initially hired to begin work on a new facility dedicated to children’s medical needs. However, demand was so great that a “temporary” facility was needed to serve the University because a new building would take several years for design and construction. Temporary space was found in the existing hospital for the interim emergency department, however they presented a challenge in that they were somewhat remote from one another dividing the program into two distinct spaces; lobby and clinical. 

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Early on in the design, it became evident that signage and way-finding would be critical due to the lobby not connecting directly to the clinical areas. The solution was to create an aquatic themed environment incorporating clear way-finding graphics to connect the two spaces. The lobby space contains a waiting room, registration desk, triage, and administrative offices. The clinical space houses eight exam rooms, two special procedure rooms, two isolation rooms, a physician consult room, a nurses care station, utility rooms, a staff lounge, pantry/medicine room, and administrative offices. Large graphics of coral reefs and aquatic life set the tone and provide distraction from the otherwise clinical nature of the space. Bright colors, sea creatures and “fun facts” in the patient rooms distract and soothe young patients who are being admitted for emergency care and their parents. 

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PROJECT TEAMS:

Associate Architect: Cannon Design (programming & schematic design)
Associate Architect: Stanley Beaman & Sears (interior architecture and environmental graphics)

MEP Engineer: RMF Engineering

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