The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU wanted to establish a destination for health and well-being for children of any age, create a clinical care environment that enhances interprofessional team collaboration, and engage each stakeholder—from staff members and patients to their families and the community—throughout the design process to understand their perspective and adapt creative elements as needed. | Photo Credit (all): Courtesy of Garrett Rowland
By Aubrie Nader
The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU fulfilled a longtime dream with the opening of the Children’s Tower, a dedicated location for pediatric healthcare, in April 2023. Driven by a passion for putting children first, the building expands the existing Children’s Pavilion, creating a private haven for pediatric healthcare. The new child-focused inpatient hospital provides parents, families, and caretakers access to nationally-ranked pediatric specialists of all disciplines, allowing the Richmond facility to care for more children than ever before.
The overall goal was to design a comfortable and welcoming environment for all patients, team members, and families; in part by infusing bold colors, engaging shapes and fun-filled areas into the new facility. Taking the time to lay the proper foundation to sustain this overarching goal over time, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU also wanted to: establish a destination for health and well-being for children of any age, create a clinical care environment that enhances interprofessional team collaboration, and engage each stakeholder — from staff members and patients to their families and the community — throughout the design process to understand their perspective and adapt creative elements as needed.
To help bring their vision to life, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU entrusted New York-based interior design firm HKS Architects and material provider 3form to thoughtfully design multiple projects within the Children’s Tower.
Project Spaces
Leaning into 3form’s expertise in color, digital printing, and fabrication, the brand’s extensive color portfolio of over 250 colors contributed to the energetic atmosphere while its digital print capabilities provide a durable, easy-to-clean wood alternative, ultimately enhancing the hospital’s biophilic design components.
The HKS team chose 3form’s durable Chroma material in ½” with a Vellum finish in Tide, Surf, Pond, and Whiteout to create a unique shade of blue, then tasked 3form with developing a custom-made security desk at the material manufacturer’s Salt Lake City facility.
“Working with 3form’s extensive color portfolio and color films enabled us to develop a shade of blue that met our design goals,” explains Corrine Kipp at HKS Architects. “The plethora of color options led to the creation of a blue that accentuates the unique shape of the desk yet cohesively blends into the design as a whole.”
The geometric desk thoughtfully complements the blue in the hospital’s branding, and creates a lively atmosphere from the moment of entry. Blue is often associated with calmness and tranquility, and has been known to reduce stress and anxiety in healthcare settings.
Interior Garden + Dining Area Mobiles and Wall Fins
The Interior Garden is a calming, peaceful space for patients and guests to meet up with one another, or take a break when needed. This space is colorful, open, and welcoming, creating a pocket of fresh air in a commonly tense and stressful environment. The multiple tiers of windows let in an abundance of natural light, creating a bright and airy atmosphere, while the playful fixtures and furniture emit an essence of childlike joy. The vertical design draws the eyes upward, prompting visitors to take a breath while admiring the soothing, sculptural elements.
Hanging above the children’s entertainment area, befitted with colorful animal furniture, a custom-made mobile and color-coordinated interior fins outlining the corner windows command attention in the space. The ceiling mobile can be seen from multiple floors, catching the light coming through the windows and casting colorful hues on the white walls throughout the day.
The mobile feature and the surrounding fins were made using 3form’s Varia material in Cobalt B52, Squash Y14, Tamale V22, Melon N10, and Turtle G28. The same mobile colors were applied in the dining area ceiling feature, creating a cohesive design and fantasy-like elements that immediately uplift spirits through the use of bright pops of yellow, green, blue, red, and pink.
Dining Banquette and Planter Wall
The design intent for the dining area and planter wall was to create a space with color and biophilic elements to continue building the revitalizing and welcoming ambiance throughout the hospital. Biophilic design is challenging in healthcare settings due to strict hygiene requirements. The designers chose digitally-printed wood on 3form’s Varia material for its durability and easy cleanability in a high traffic area.
“We offer designers access to a curated library of more than 21,000 images, patterns, and graphics—such as the wood grain HKS selected for the dining area—that can meet their digital printing needs,” shares Keenan Smigelski, a sales consultant at 3form. “It allows them to bypass sourcing limitations, ensuring creative freedom without having to compromise fabrication efficiency.”
By choosing a digital printing method, the designer was able to collaborate with the manufacturer to mimic the look and feel of nature without compromising cleanliness. The end result is a custom, stimulating design that adds visual texture and organic flow, and brings the benefits of biophilia to the healthcare space.
Conclusion
The new Children’s Tower inpatient center at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU is a welcoming environment that deviates from the sterile, clinical aesthetic, and instead is a colorful, creative, and comfortable, non-threatening space for staff, patients, and families.
“This hospital is dedicated to improving children’s health in the Richmond community, Commonwealth of Virginia, and region,” expresses Smigelski. “This addition established a destination for health and well-being for children of any age, creating a clinical care environment that enhances interprofessional team collaboration, while engaging care team members, patients, families, and the community.”
The color palette is bold and bright, pulling in the pink, yellow, blue, and green from the hospital’s brand colors to create a cohesive design throughout the space. Together, HKS Architects and 3form were able to create a design-driven healthcare space that promotes mental and emotional well-being, alongside the necessary functionality and durability.
Aubrie Nader is Brand Manager for 3form.