A patient may have access to world-class care, but no pathology report will capture their need to rebalance and recharge. Together with our best-in-class collaborators, we created an environment for children and their caregivers to rest, recover and discover.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is among the world’s leading treatment centers for childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Missing from its campus, however, was a space that gave patients and families a welcome dose of normalcy amid extraordinarily difficult treatments.
Reflecting thoughtful design, space planning and technology integration, The Family Commons comprises 45,000 square feet dedicated to the comfort and well-being of patients and their families. The Family Commons is more than just a space. It’s the manifestation of a belief that built environments can play an active role in the care journey by addressing patients and families through all dimensions of their experience.
Our physical studio envisioned the Commons as 25 distinct areas, each with a clear personality and purpose. For the Music Room, the latest LED technology underpins a wall-based interactive installation. Musical notes playing in the room trigger colored LEDs that illuminate through the wall’s perforations, creating a soothing yet playful feature. The room itself can host recitals, talent shows, plays and other performances.
Scattered throughout the Indoor Play area are 23 bird icons, but finding them requires a keen eye. Like the Music Room, this mini scavenger hunt can help quell anxiety before treatment or bring a child back into dialogue with their imagination after treatment.
As much as The Family Commons serve to feed children’s innate sense of play, we also worked hard to encourage connection. Digital message boards in the Genius Bar area invite people to leave notes of encouragement and love for kids. The Genius Bar is a place for caregivers, siblings and patients to come together, get work done, connect with the outside world and meet others from the larger St. Jude community.
The Café, designed to be the beating heart of the Family Commons, leverages our cumulative decades of designing elevated hospitality experiences that still connect meaningfully to their contexts.
St. Jude Family Commons redefines supportive environments for patients and families. A sanctuary within the hospital, it is enhancing the healing journey by providing a heaping dose of that vital but vanishingly rare medicine: humanity.
