A Westchester classic

Creating a state-of-the-art children's hospital requires innovative solutions that meet current and future needs of the facility. Sensitivity to the health and emotional needs of the children and families who use the facility is also a critical component of such a project. An example is the $85 million, 250,000-sq-ft Maria Fareri Children's Hospital on Woods Road at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.

One of the primary challenges facing the project team was to find ways to alleviate the stress of hospitalization for children and their families through design solutions. To accomplish this task, the project's design team, a tri-venture of architects NBBJ and Lothrop Associates and MEP and life-safety engineer, Syska Hennessy Group of Manhattan, created a distinctly child-friendly environment. For example, the outside of the facility has a very non-institutional look, appearing to be a large house to make children feel at home. In fact, since family, fun, and laughter contribute to the recovery process, a small park and a miniature golf course were constructed outside this new "house" Designed as a china friendly environment, the facility has numerous features intended to appeal to and amuse children. Lighting fixtures were chosen to create a soft nature/homelike ambiance. The lighting and HVAC systems were integrated into hospital displays, including the lobby's 5,000-gal fish tank, an authentic locomotive, a large doll collection, the David Cone/New York Yankees sports arcade, an actual fire engine cab, a resource center, a stage, a toy store, and a food court.

The third floor includes private rooms for parents. These suites, which are equipped with kitchens and dining areas, are part of a built-in Ronald McDonald House that allows parents of an ill child to stay overnight.

COMPLEX UTILITY RELOCATION

The design team was challenged prior to the start of construction when the owner wanted the new children's hospital sited on Woods Road so it would be prominently visible to passersby. Fulfilling this request required that the new three-level facility be located on top of the existing main hospital's utility tunnel. The solution was to relocate all of the utilities while keeping the main hospital operational. To achieve this, the utility tunnel was intercepted by constructing a new entrance outside the footprint of the new children's hospital. This took careful planning and phasing to keep the main hospital operational as utilities were switched over.

Provisions were made in the tunnel for utilities to serve the children's hospital. New valves for the steam and hot water were installed along with new junction boxes for the electrical service and terminal boxes for the telecommunications lines.

Before the children's hospital could be constructed, two existing buildings totaling 100,000 sq ft needed to be demolished. Prior to demolition, hospital staff and personnel (as well as patients who had been located in these two buildings) were relocated in a series of 30 moves to new, permanent space created in the main hospital and adjacent buildings.

As this task proceeded, other efforts were underway to make the hospital state-of-the-art and expandable for future needs. These focused on the HVAC, electrical service, life safety and security systems, all of which were tied into the new building's automated controls.

INTEGRATING MAJOR SYSTEMS INTO THE DESIGN

Major building systems in the children's hospital include three chillers. One of these is a 500-ton electric drive chiller and two are 500-ton gas-fired absorption chillers. The hybrid system was chosen to take advantage of the efficiencies of differing units at varying loads. There are also two 1,250 kW diesel generators, located in the penthouse and supplied by a 10,000-gal fuel oil storage tank. Provisions were made for space to accommodate a third generator at a future date.

In addition, 13 air handlers of various sizes were installed in keeping with the child-friendly "house" theme of the hospital's design. To achieve this, the units were located in the "attic" space beneath the hospital's peaked roof. This solution made excellent use of space while conforming to the architects' design.

High pressure steam is brought into the hospital from the utility tunnel at 125 psi. In order for the steam to be used for sterilizers at 60 psi, a pressure-reducing valve was installed. It was further reduced to 15 psi for the perimeter heating system, duct reheats, humidifiers, and steam preheat coils