Miami Children’s Hospital Interior

Providing Flexibility to a Growing, Changing Medical Center 

One of the nation’s leading pediatric healthcare centers, the Miami Children’s Hospital, is a sprawling campus that continually changes to accommodate a growing medical staff and employees. The hospital has relied on KI solutions to ensure its many varied spaces will accommodate both current and future needs. The primary solution to the hospital’s need for adaptability is KI’s Genius® walls used in several construction and renovation projects. “KI showed us we could do more with Genius walls than with traditional construction, giving us a great deal of flexibility,” said Ralph Rodriguez, facility planning manager for the hospital’s architecture and construction department.  The Genius wall system was ideal for the hospital’s ever-changing environments. Workspaces have ample access to power and data connections, yet walls that are likely to be moved in the future carry a minimum of wires. Reconfiguration is easy and reduces the need for additional technicians and permits. “Growth-Ready” Solutions for Every Corner of the Campus

•The Central Energy Plant. With large, open spaces, the building houses equipment that powers the hospital campus, along with several operations departments. Genius walls allow departments to easily reconfigure their spaces, which they have done – twice – in a year. “There’s no dust or debris from construction,” said Rodriguez.

•The Doral Center. Genius walls were again the solution of choice in the hospital’s new dental clinic. In addition to adaptability, the availability of different finishes and textures provided further design flexibility. “We wanted to create a friendlier feel instead of an institutional look to relieve kids’ anxiety,” said Rodriguez. Combinations of glass, light and dark woods, bamboo and other textures furnished a warm, inviting design.

•The Michael Fux Family Center. A less formal feel was also important in this resource center for families of hospitalized children that includes cafés, a movie theater, and private dining areas. Genius walls separate areas to give families privacy as they share meals. KI’s Strive® chairs throughout provide comfortable, flexible seating.

•The Talent Management and Effectiveness Department. Genius walls supported an overall renovation along with KI’s Wireworks® panel system for desking and workstations. Open shelves create a comfortable, informal feeling, with locking overheads and cabinets for confidentiality needs.

•The Foundation Building. A combination of Wireworks and Genius walls was used in the new building which houses the hospital’s fundraising efforts. Flexibility alongside a professional aesthetic was important. Genius walls enabled designers to create a consistent look throughout the space – with glass and veneer panels – without having to custom-build walls. Standard in all the hospital’s office settings is the Impress® chair. A nursing panel tested several chairs for ergonomics and posture, and the Impress came out on top. Rodriguez credits KI as being instrumental in helping the hospital specify and design a wall system that worked best for its diverse needs. “They were very hands-on and available any time we needed them,” he said.

Description from architects.