Page Southerland Page and GBBN completed the Pediatric Medical Office Building, Novak Center for the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.

With the goal of delivering outstanding pediatric and adolescent healthcare to patients in Kentucky, the University of Louisville Physicians Group sought the services of EYP and GBBN to design a comprehensive medical office building. The resulting 176,000-sf, eight-story Novak Center for Children’s Health effectively brings together multidisciplinary health providers from various satellite locations and consolidates them under one roof, creating one of the state’s premiere pediatric care facilities.

The new Novak Center is home to seven clinical levels, 180 exam and treatment rooms, 21 infusion rooms, lab and radiology services, a conference center, pharmacy, and a rooftop garden. A diverse constitution of programs and specialty practices is housed within, including neurology, ophthalmology, hematology, and radiology. Additionally, integrated co-working spaces characterized by open floor plans with flexible furniture allow diverse groups to come together to share resources and ideas.

Themes of exploration and discovery of animals and landscapes common to Kentucky are featured throughout, showcasing rural landscapes within coordinating gradients of color on walls, flooring, and ceilings that provide an immersive experience. Friendly depictions of foxes, rabbits, squirrels, and deer are hidden within playful forest scenery tucked in seating nooks and play zones in the family waiting rooms and on accent walls in the exam rooms. Neutral wood flooring and ceiling and white textures on the walls provide contrasting backgrounds for brilliant pops of interior colors found in leaves on the floor and colored light coves in the ceiling. Fun fabrics on pediatric furniture added to the artistic visual display, inspiring a non-clinical transformation.

A clear parti floor diagram in the main clinic entry and family waiting area provides a dual entry on the first floor from the north and south sides, allowing for visibility for patient safety, as well as clear wayfinding. On upper floors, the flooring designs, use of lighting, architectural ceiling configurations, and custom wall murals help the patients and families navigate, providing intuitive direction with minimal signage.

The design team successfully achieved three project objectives to improve the patient, family, and staff experience. First, it provided a unified branded environment for the University to structure the various healthcare providers. Second, the team created a familiar and welcoming environment for pediatric patients and families. Third, it ensured intuitive and clear wayfinding, reducing stress in the environment.

Design: Page Southerland Page and GBBN
Photography: Brad Feinknopf