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ARCHITECT’S PERSONAL CONNECTION TO CANCER LEADS TO INNOVATIONS IN HUNTSMAN HOSPITAL DESIGN
Don Finlayson Incorporates Ideas for Patient Rooms, Family Facilities and Integrating Nature from Experience Caring for his Daughter
SALT LAKE CITY (June, 2004) - Don Finlayson, president of Architectural Nexus, took a unique and personal approach to designing the
new Huntsman Cancer Institute Hospital. When Finlayson began the project, he spoke with his daughter, who has been fighting three different
episodes of cancer for more than five years, as well as reflected on his experience as a caregiver. His goal was to design a facility with features
that would improve the experience for both cancer patients and their families.
The finished product, which was designed with input from more than 200 healthcare professionals and hundreds of cancer patients,
is one of the Country’s most advanced and patient-friendly cancer hospitals.
Finlayson’s connection to the personal and professional challenges associated with the disease led to designing larger rooms which
include a sleep area with a fold out couch for family members and guests. He designed each room with features such as separate speakers
and sound controls, which allow family members to watch television without disturbing a weary patient. The hospital also includes a family
kitchen (where guests can heat pre-prepared foods from home), a family lounge, business center, laundry and showers.
“When a loved one is in the hospital for cancer treatment, your whole world revolves around the experience,” said Finlayson.
“With that in mind, we have designed an environment that provides both cancer patients and their families with the utmost comfort and support.”
The Huntsman Cancer Institute Hospital is among the first to integrate nature both in its interior and exterior. Finlayson learned from his
daughter and other cancer patients that many experience an acute loss of contact with nature while living in an indoor, sterile environment.
The hospital features live trees in the lobby and a healing garden with plants and flowers that allows patients to connect with nature.
The interior and exterior of the hospital were designed to reflect the themes of hope and inspiration. The objective was to create a warm
and welcoming environment void of a commercial or corporate look and feel that is common in most hospitals. Additional design elements include:
Exterior Design
The exterior of the building was designed to compliment the research facility while expressing a new aesthetic
application for the hospital. The building features a curvilinear design representing a welcoming feel, with larger, hospitality type windows, which
break the tenets of traditional hospitals. Patient rooms were built with four times more glass than the average rooms in traditional facilities.
The Floor Plan
The floor plan is designed to create the most patient friendly environment possible. Waiting areas are
adjacent to the lobby atrium which provides easy access to all areas in the hospital. The design philosophy was to reduce stress by making the
hospital easy to navigate as well as by reducing foot traffic and noise in patient areas. The combination of fewer doors and more artwork helps
to create a more welcoming environment.
The Lobby
The hospital’s entrance and main focal point is a three-story seamless structural glass wall, which creates a
transparent movement from exterior to interior. It was designed to make patrons look up as they enter the hospital. At the top of the wall is
a glass ceiling that is backlit with fiber optic lights creating the sensation of looking into the heavens — symbolic of the design theme.
At night, light shines through the wall symbolizing a beacon of hope.
Radiation Therapy
Patients receiving radiation therapy will be treated in a warm and comfortable environment with features
that are atypical in similar facilities. The hospital was built into the side of a mountain, which allows Radiation Therapy to be located on Level
One instead of in the basement. The atmosphere is characterized by an abundance of natural light along with wood paneling and shelving, which conceals
wires and high-tech equipment, to create an “at home” feeling.
Integration of Surgical Suites and Testing
Level Three features separate registrations and entrances for testing and surgery.
The staffing area is integrated in a central location between the testing and surgical suites. This unprecedented design improves both patient care
as well as fosters collaboration between specialists. Endoscopy, in-patient surgery, out-patient surgery, and histopathology are all integrated on
Level Three, providing faster testing and diagnosis and ultimately a less complicated experience for the patient.
About Architectural Nexus
Architectural Nexus is one the Intermountain West’s principal architectural firms formed by the merger of Jensen Haslem P.C. and Thomas Petersen Hammond Architects.
The Company, with offices in Utah and Arizona, offers sophisticated design and deep technical expertise with specialties in health care, research, education, resort
and housing, commercial, religious and governmental projects. With more than 100 dedicated specialists, Architectural Nexus manages projects for a wide variety of
companies and organizations. The Company’s signature projects include the Huntsman Cancer Institute, recent addition to Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake Community College
Student Pavilion, the University of Utah Eccles Critical Care Pavilion, and the Biomedical Polymers Research Facility.
Press Contact:
Chris Thomas
801.481.9482
cthomas@intrepidpr.com
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