As its patient population grows, Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) is expanding its services to the suburbs with a new campus in The Woodlands. The new campus, master planned for future expansion, will provide ambulatory care along with inpatient units and diagnostic services. Key elements of the new campus include 120 exam rooms, 32 acute care beds, 28 critical care beds, a 25-position emergency department, four operating rooms, a central plant, structured parking and shell space for future growth.

The guiding principles behind the buildings’ design were to create a flexible and adaptable floor plan and incorporate a modular concept. The resulting footprint for the clinical spaces of the MOB offered an ideal structural planning grid that also worked well within the patient rooms, ORs, imaging and office spaces of the hospital.

The new hospital and MOB reflect the TCH brand through the use of exterior materials and interior design to portray a child-like, yet elegant environment. The exterior materials recall the color palette of TCH’s main campus in the Texas Medical Center and cylindrical beacons on both buildings identify circulation cores while providing views of the grounds to the interiors. A “Spirit of the Woods” wayfinding scheme, paired with warm finishes, effortlessly guides visitors and patients to their destinations. The playful and timeless interior design promotes a welcoming environment for patients, families and staff, while also supporting the institution’s brand.

Project category: Project in progress

Chief administrator: Michelle Riley-Brown; president

Firm: FKP, www.fkp.com

Design team: FKP (architecture, interior design, equipment planning); Smith Seckman Reid (MEP engineer); Cardno Haynes Whaley (structural engineer); Walter P Moore (structural engineer); Vogt (civil engineer); Bleyl & Associates (civil engineer)

Photography: www.dawn3d.com, courtesy of FKP; www.TresD.com, courtesy of FKP

Total building area (sq. ft.): 349,775 (hospital); 209,906 (MOB)

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $196 (hospital); $140 (MOB)

Total construction cost (excluding land): $68.7 million (hospital); $29.5 million (MOB)

Completed: February 2017