The Cedars-Sinai Ventana Cancer Care Clinic in Tarzana, California stands as a tremendous boon for its patients located in and around the Los Angeles suburb. Cutting down on time and stress associated with an often-congested commute to Cedar-Sinai’s main campus, the clinic’s location brings ongoing cancer treatment closer to the community it serves.
In recent years the space has undergone several changes as part of a tenant improvement project that included altering the shape of the existing floor plate in addition to a transformation into a more uplifting, light filled space to aid in the recovery process.
In providing the design of the updated space ZGF, a Los Angeles-based design firm, prioritized layout by space type. This initial decision led to the placement of the infusion room in a large window-wrapped area, which then became the cornerstone for the rest of the design. By placing the reception and main waiting area adjacent to the infusion room, partitioned only by frosted glass, daylight streams through to the center to create a sense of natural light in a large, windowless area.
Design to Ease the Body and Mind for Cancer Patients
When patients first enter, they are immediately greeted by the crisp architectural lines of the main lobby’s interior architecture, complimented by a blend of sophisticated finishes and cozy furnishings to create an uplifting, restorative environment. The frosted glass serves as the backlighting element, introducing gently filtered daylight from the adjoining infusion room. Beyond that, the wood and richly veined, earth-toned marble of the reception desk bring an extra added warmth.
Abutting the space are consult rooms, residential in feel, like a home office pairing a work desk with a comfortable lounge configuration. Multifunctional in their design, they can be used for anything from scheduling the next visit to having important, private conversations with patients.
The infusion room holds all the light at Cedars-Sinai, with generous floor to ceiling windows letting in as much natural sunlight as possible.
Meanwhile, inside the infusion room, the layout has been set to provide a hospitable experience during patients’ hours-long treatments. Each custom bay is modeled after first-class airplane seating and grouped in radiating configurations while infusion pods provide comfort along with the ability to position for privacy, separation, or engagement during treatment, leaving the choice up to patients. The soft glow from accent lamps at each bay further adds to the cozy upscale hospitality feel.
Once treatment is complete, patients can then move to one of the window-side seating arrangements to enjoy views and the warming sun as they rehydrate. Just across from them on the opposite wall, an environmental graphic designed by ZGF runs the length, designed to mimic the sunrise, further drawing the sun’s rejuvenating energy into the space.
Another version of this article was originally posted on Healthcare Design.
