To better serve their growing patient population, Northwestern Medicine sought to renovate and expand their Delnor Cancer Center in Geneva, Illinois. Gresham Smith provided architecture services for the project, which added 15,500 square feet to the facility. The expansion included 20 new exam rooms, 13 new treatment rooms, and doubled patient intake bays, while also upgrading technology and enlarging the pharmacy and nurse stations. The modernized space enables Northwestern Medicine to expand their specialized clinics and provide state-of-the-art cancer treatment closer to where their patients live and work.

The design team carefully coordinated exterior elements to create continuity with the existing building aesthetic, using architectural stone panels, metal panels and a glazed curtainwall. By extending the building footprint into the site’s existing stormwater detention pond, patients, visitors and staff enjoy views of the water and wildlife from corridors, infusion bays, and the staff lounge. To further promote staff well-being, larger, centralized nurse stations create operational efficiencies and better visibility, clerestory windows bring natural light deep into the building, and an outdoor patio offers space for meals and breaks. The expanded pharmacy—now double its original size—includes two hoods for on-site compounding of chemotherapy medications.

Design: Gresham Smith
Contractor: Walsh
Photography: Mark Ballogg