The City of Hope team said they took great pains to evoke “more hospitality than hospital” for patients, according to OC President Annette Walker, who pointed to natural wood and multicultural sensibilities like feng shui.
“We tried to be super thoughtful from all cultures’ points of view,” she said. “Orange County is a very diverse community, and lots of different kinds of people will be coming through here, so we will be addressing many cultural needs and desires.”
City of Hope asked the architects, Los Angeles-based ZGF Architects LLP, to work with a feng shui consultant, who advised them to not have a front door where visitors could see down a hallway through the entire building because that would “take the energy out” of the building.
The feng shui consultant also recommended the center part of the building needed pillars to look strong with metal—not silver—to imply strength. The architectural firm eventually used natural bronze.
The architects, who are also helping design the adjacent hospital so that it flows with the cancer outpatient center, is also emphasizing the natural light available because of numerous windows and the views of nearby mountains.
It’s also emphasizing the area’s plants with gardens replete with native plants associated with healing.
“These are beautiful gardens,” Walker said. “Every week, something different is blooming. These gardens and this space are not typical for a healthcare setting.”
—Audrey Kemp
