Francis Cauffman has designed The Cooperman Family Pavilion, a new addition of RWJBarnabas Health’s Saint Barnabas Medical Center, located in Livingston, New Jersey.

The Saint Barnabas Medical Center, a flagship facility of RWJBarnabas Health, recently unveiled a new five-story, 241,000 SF soaring addition. The Cooperman Family Pavilion, designed by Francis Cauffman, creates a more comfortable and healing environment for all patients and visitors.

With its towering glass entrance, the Cooperman Family Pavilion has become the new point of entry for all patients and visitors to the medical center. The pavilion encompasses 114 new private, single-patient rooms; an expansive 56-bassinet NICU; outpatient diagnostic services including non-invasive cardiology, cardiopulmonary and neuro diagnostics lab, endoscopy lab and pre-admission testing; a central registration area; and same-day surgery suite. A new three-story parking garage was also built to accommodate more than 400 vehicles.

The transparent, two-story lobby is the focal point of the building with elegant materials conveying a timeless aesthetic. In addition, the Francis Cauffman team researched best practices in building a healthier hospital and designing amenities and elements that will lower risk of falls, decrease noise, increase natural lighting and provide a more welcoming and home-like environment.

The plan for the NICU was influenced by the Patient Advisory Council, which brings together former patients’ families for their perspective on how to provide better care and services to families. Based on this information, Francis Cauffman designed the NICU to have a series of single rooms in a pod design that allows parents to bond with their baby within steps of medical staff. There is also the addition of two new Family Rooms that offer parents the opportunity to sleep over prior to their baby’s discharge.

The resulting expansion is a beautiful, natural light-infused building that reflects evidence-based design approaches to promote healing and improve care. This truly collaborative project, made possible by a $25 million gift from Leon and Toby Cooperman, has provided Saint Barnabas Medical Center with the right amenities, structures and state-of-the-art technologies. Francis Cauffman was proud to lead this project that demonstrates the RWJBarnabas Health commitment and approach to high-quality healthcare delivery.

Design: Francis Cauffman
Structural: The Harman Group
Contractor: WM Blanchard Co.
Photographer: Chris Cooper, Bjorg Magnea