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One of the comforting waiting areas of
The Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.
In 1997, Westchester Medical Center reviewed the services they
provided to the community and found a need for a hospital dedicated
to the care of children. In response, a project was developed for
a “World Class” Children’s Hospital at the Grasslands
Campus located in Valhalla, New York. Working in a tri-venture
with two architectural firms, Syska Hennessy Group applied engineering
solutions to the development of a Master Plan for this new 250,000
square foot Children’s Hospital and Trauma Center. The new
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital was designed and executed specifically
to appeal to, and address the health and emotional care of, children
and their families.
The new Hospital is the only all-specialty children’s hospital
in the Metro-New York area and home to the world’s finest
pediatric specialists. Additionally, the Children’s Hospital
has the only regional Level III neonatal and pediatric intensive
care units, pediatric open-heart surgery and cardiac catheterization
centers, and a specialized high-risk obstetrics center.
The hospital advanced state-of-the-art engineering by demonstrating
how engineers can provide cost effective, energy saving, technically
sound solutions that improve the quality of life for all building
occupants resulting in first cost, and then operational savings.
It also reinforced the benefit, with respect to schedule and cost,
of creating a collaborative design between Engineer, Architect,
Owner and other consultants.
An example of how this collaborative approach benefited the project
came to bear with the initial positioning of the building. Westchester
Medical Center’s fundamental criteria included a prominent
location and that the new building connects to the Center’s
Main Hospital Tower. Key components of the plan included a utility
tunnel that channels the facility’s MEP systems from the
County owned boiler plant into a valve room in an adjacent building.
Telecommunications, security and fire alarm systems also make use
of the utility tunnel. Ultimately, it was determined that the best
way to meet the client’s criteria was that the utility tunnel
would be modified at an expansion loop outside the new building’s
footprint where a new valve room and communications manholes could
be created. Once approved by the Center, a set of cost effective,
phased infrastructure drawings was developed that still maintained
the building’s prominent position with services connecting
to the existing complex.
This actual fire engine cab can be found
in the lobby of The Maria Fareri Children's Hospital.
The team designed the hospital in an effort to understand
and cope with the stresses associated with a child's hospitalization
and the importance of family, fun and laughter to the recovery
process. In an effort to create a child-friendly environment selection
and location of lighting, diffusers and equipment were chosen,
placed and installed with complete sensitivity to appeal to and
amuse children. Lighting fixtures were also selected with energy
efficiency and to create a soft nature/home-like ambiance. Lighting
and HVAC systems were integrated into the displays that included
the following: 5,000 gallon fish tank in the lobby, authentic locomotive,
world’s largest doll house, sports arcade, actual fire engine
cab, resource center, stage, toy store, food court and miniature
golf course outside.
Our design met the Hospital’s goals of providing the community
with a state-of-the-art children’s healthcare facility. The
facility is cost effective, energy efficient and provides the flexibility
and reliability required for highest quality patient care while
accommodating a future of changing needs. The new facility is a
major achievement and has set a new standard for children's hospitals
throughout the world.
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