Project category: Project in progress (May 2008)

Chief administrator: Anthony J. DeFail, President and CEO, (814) 333-5525

Firm: Astorino, (412) 209-2923

Design team: Architecture, Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Construction, and Design/Build, Astorino; Civil Engineering, KAG Engineering, Incorporated

Total building area (sq. ft.): 19,000

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $274

Total construction cost (excluding land): $5,200,000

The first freestanding cancer-care facility in the region, the new Meadville Cancer Care Center is a $5.2 million, 19,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art facility that will provide outpatient treatments, radiation oncology, and improved access to local physicians.

MMC Health Systems, Inc., selected Astorino based on the firm’s ability to offer a guaranteed price and schedule by performing both the design and build functions in-house. The firm can deliver the project in less time than it would normally take using traditional construction methods.

To relate this single-story facility to its woodland setting, careful consideration was paid in selecting a stone veneer for the exterior façade. The same veneer is continued into the lobby area, which features a 12-foot interior waterfall. An extensive use of glass floods the area with natural light.

An innovative, functional plan couples each doctor’s office with an adjoining exam room to allow for more direct and personal interaction with patients.

The infusion area includes two private treatment rooms and 10 open bays with moveable storage modules that can be used to create a semiprivate environment. The extensive use of glass again provides plenty of natural light and beautiful outdoor views to create a calming and relaxing environment for patients.

The radiation oncology suite offers the latest in computed tomography (CT) scanning and radiation treatment. This facility also includes a women’s diagnostic component that offers mammography, ultrasound, and bone-density testing.

Other amenities include a meeting room/patient library, a mobile-imaging docking station, and a patio with a fountain water feature to encourage calm and stress relief.