When planning the renovation and expansion of the Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, one question served as the “centering point” for the entire project, Cancer Center Administrator Linda Lee tells Business Report in a feature from the current issue.
“What is it like if you’re a human being, and you’re at your doctor’s office, and you find out you have cancer?” she says.
The center already had top-notch clinicians and staff, she says. Now they have a building that is more comfortable, welcoming and efficient for the patients.
Perhaps the most dramatic aspect of the nearly complete renovation is the two-story stained-glass wall that catches the eye as you walk in through the main entrance. Each of the hundreds of shards of yellow, orange, red, green and blue glass were hand glued by local artist Stephen Wilson.
The other side of the glass wall can be seen up close from the second-floor meditation room. Designed with the patients in mind, the mostly wood-paneled room also hosts guided meditation for staff twice a week, Lee says.
Art, much of it abstract, can be found throughout the Cancer Center and often is employed as wayfinding markers along with traditional signs. Beyond the pleasing aesthetics, the hope is that an interesting, soothing piece can serve as a distraction, if only for a moment, from the stress of cancer treatment.
The materials inside of the building, including a lot of wood and stone, were chosen purposefully to avoid creating a cold, sterile environment. Project architect Brenda Bush-Moline of VOA Associates says the firm practices “biophilic design,” which helps patients receive treatment “when they’re their very best selves.” Bush-Moline also designed the LSU Health building and the East Tower at Our Lady of the Lake, according to VOA’s website.
“Being in an environment that has cues to nature and has natural elements has literally been proven to reduce stress,” she says.
Read the full feature. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
