Healthcare Design - June/July 2021 - 11

DYNAMIC
DESTINATION
Cherese Mari Laulhere Children's Village at
Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long
Beach, Long Beach, Calif., opened February
T
HE OUTPATIENT SERVICES for Miller Children's &
Women's Hospital Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif.
were delivered across more than 35 clinics, a logistical
challenge for families seeking care. From blood draw
and imaging to orthopedics, neurology, oncology, and
rehabilitation services, families were navigating multiple
appointments in different locations on any given
day. The Cherese Mari Laulhere Children's Village,
opened in February, provides a comprehensive pediatric outpatient destination
for the hospital, while also supporting a collaborative, efficient
model of care.
The four-story, 80,000-square-foot building, which is projected to receive
LEED Gold certification, leverages its prominent location on the hospital
campus' southeast corner to become a dynamic anchor and to bolster
the pediatric focus on campus. The building is organized in an L-shape that
minimizes the distance from the entry to patient clinics and maximizes
window area to allow natural light to penetrate the building. The main entry
sits at the footprint's inner corner with north and west wings opening
toward the core of the medical campus. This creates two primary façades:
one facing the city and public ways and the other facing the heart of the
medical campus. Colored glass, stair towers, balconies, and a large orange
cube at the corner create an engaging elevation, while a sweeping multicolored
translucent glass entrance canopy welcomes users into the lobby.
Clean lines, organic forms, and bold colors offer pleasing design elements
for all ages while providing intuitive wayfinding cues. For example,
colored ribbons integrated into the terrazzo and resilient flooring support
circulation and guide patients and families to the various clinics. Arrival
areas at the clinics are designated by brightly painted destination walls
and complemented by organic forms in the ceilings. Exam room doors and
entry flooring are punctuated with different colors as kid-friendly communication
tools.
The project team, including C/A Architects (Long Beach, Calif.), used a
Lean methodology and design-build approach to deliver the operational
vision for the project. The Lean process gave staff a voice in the clinic design
and allowed the hospital to refine processes. For example, typically
offices sit empty part of the week, averaging 30 to 40 percent utilization.
The consolidation of services within a hoteling concept takes advantage of
a universal suite design and allows practices to move in and out, as needed.
The building can then be used more efficiently by not having space dedicated
to one service line or practice, with a better than 80 percent utilization
factor anticipated. Furthermore, employing onstage/offstage spaces for
staff improves efficiency and operational costs. The designbuild
approach also allowed for greater efficiency with the
project schedule, resulting in the building being delivered on
time and on budget, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JUNE/JULY 2021
11
PAUL TURANG PHOTOGRAPHY
Healthcare Design - June/July 2021

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