FKP | CannonDesign is proud to share that Phase 2 of Texas Children’s Hospital’s new Legacy Tower is now complete. Our firm helped Texas Children’s with architecture, interior design, master planning and equipment planning services for the new 25-story inpatient tower which marks a significant milestone for the hospital’s mission to provide greater access to care for the most critically ill and medically complex children.
Soaring above the Texas Medical Center campus, the 400-foot tower includes new state-of-the-art operating rooms with an intraoperative MRI and an 84-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) that consists of dedicated surgical, neuro, and transitional ICU beds as part of Phase 1, which was completed in May. The second phase, which includes the new eight-floor home of Texas Children’s Heart Center – ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in cardiology and heart surgery – officially opened to patients last week.
“Designing a 19-story addition over an existing building takes a tremendous amount of foresight and determination. Thanks to all of those involved, we’ve completed one of the most technologically advanced pediatric critical care hospitals in the world,” said Michael Shirley, AIA, of FKP | CannonDesign, who served as the project’s design principal. “The results are indicative of Texas Children’s legacy of healing any sick or hurt child without restrictions. The tower is sensational in purpose – an accomplishment that will provide unmatched outcomes and experiences for many years to come.”
Texas Children’s approach to design highlights truly a collaborative partnership between provider, patient, and families that is a hallmark of their care delivery. Knowing that parents and family are an essential part of the care team and recognizing the value of their perception of the facilities, a Family Advisory Group was engaged from the early stages of design through the mock-up process and simulations.
While family members spend an extensive amount of time in the patient rooms and within the hospital itself, they also felt it was important for the staff to be taken care of. Family Advisory Group members were interested in better understanding what staff needed in order to provide the best care for their children as part of the design process, asking – “What do the nurses need to take care of our kids?”