SmithGroup designed Advocate Health Care’s Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Center for Advanced Care located in Chicago, Illinois.

Teamed with Turner Construction through an Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) agreement, the first phase of a planned 412,000 expansion of the Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is the Center for Advanced Care.

Through a unique set of visioning and value modeling exercises, the design team identified an opportunity to replace the cancer center and directly integrate its services with the Digestive Health and Ambulatory Surgery services offered at the new Center for Advanced Care. This programmatic integration allows patients to have same-day oncology consultations as well as immediate access to oncologists by surgeons and endoscopists. This integrated facility concept provides a sustainable foundation on which to build upon Advocate’s integrated model of care, improving patient-physician continuity while enhancing efficiencies and the overall patient experience.

The cancer program is doubled in size and consolidates multispecialty infusion, radiology and surgical oncology into a healing center of care. Six new outpatient ORs, with six additional planned for the future, directly connect to the existing inpatient surgery suite. The addition creates an integrated platform where patients can easily access care, including an innovative condominium clinic, with flexible exam and consult spaces.

The design of the Center for Advanced Care aspires to demystify the healthcare experience by creating a physical space that is open, inviting and embraces the principles of place-making, light and community. A three-story glass atrium accentuates the facility’s main entrance. The sweeping, curved glass façade on the south elevation features an integral passive sunshade system that filters natural light and reduces solar heat gain. Public corridors are outfitted with open seating and waiting areas located along the softly undulating circulation spine, creating an easy-to-navigate wayfinding system connecting the new building to the main hospital. Day surgery areas provide access to indirect light through clerestory glazing, and the cancer center’s infusion bays overlook a new community garden on the north side of the building.

A patient-centered environment is created through deliberate color and materials choices. The serene palette lends continuity through the entire building, while maintaining a modern feel. Pops of color act as wayfinding by defining each clinical space, and draw in patients to points of contact with staff. Wood grain and varied stone lend a sense of movement. The design is a direct reflection of and testament to the vibrancy of the surrounding community.

As the first hospital in Chicago to receive the EPA’s Energy Star designation, AIMMC has always been a leader in environmental sustainability. The Center for Advanced Care has achieved LEED© Silver certification, promoting environmental and human health in a patient care environment.

Design: SmithGroup
General Contractor: Turner Construction Company
Photographer: Liam Frederick