Construction Starts for Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

CHICAGO, Ill.  — The design and construction team of SmithGroupJJR, KJWW Engineering, Thornton Tomasetti and Turner Construction broke ground on a new, $109-million outpatient facility for Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, Ill. SmithGroupJJR is the designer of the three-story Center for Advanced Care.

To be constructed adjacent to Advocate Illinois Masonic’s existing hospital, the project – the first of a planned two-phase building program – will add 156,000-square-feet dedicated to cancer care, digestive health and ambulatory surgery services. Completion is targeted for early 2015.

“This new building is a direct response to the needs of our community,” said Advocate Illinois Masonic President Susan Nordstrom Lopez. “The services that we’ll be offering through the new center have been specifically identified as necessary.”

The three-story development will add six outpatient operating rooms with video integration capabilities, 18 prep and recovery rooms, two linear accelerators, 16 infusion bays and a state-of-the-art teaching area. The facility will position Advocate Illinois Masonic to deliver enhanced care across outpatient services platforms.

Design reflects commitment to patient-centered care
To be located on a compact urban site in Chicago’s Lake View community, the building’s configuration and design will offer enhanced operational efficiencies for staff and create a beacon of hope for patients seeking a range of outpatient treatments. Materials and design aesthetics to be employed on the north side of the site will be representative of the neighboring residential community . Signature design elements on the south elevation will include a sweeping, curved glass façade with an integral passive sunshade system. Public corridors outfitted with open seating and waiting areas will be located along the interior of the softly undulating circulation spine, creating an easy-to-navigate wayfinding system for visitors. At street level, a three-story glass atrium lobby and reception area punctuates the facility’s main entrance.

The Angelo P. Creticos Cancer Center will be relocated within the Center for Advanced Care and will encompass the garden level and north end of the facility’s first floor. The south end of the floor will house the digestive health clinic, along with a pre-surgery waiting area, a health resource center, conference facilities and a café. The third floor will house an ambulatory surgery suite that will connect to the existing hospital.

“Advocate Illinois Masonic is all about people and community,” said Tim Tracey, AIA, design principal for SmithGroupJJR’s Chicago office. “Not only does this building reflect the personality of their organization, it will give them a platform to transform how they deliver care to their patients.”

Green amenities include perpetual healing wall, vegetated roof
Targeting LEED-NC-Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the facility’s design has incorporated sustainable elements whenever possible. A garden wall implanted with vegetation that will be green year-round is a distinctive feature that will add depth to the building’s form and will symbolically enrich the patient experience. The development will also add approximately 21,000-square-feet of green space for the community, including a community garden, a green roof, pathways and outdoor benches for patients and visitors.