Valley Children's Eagle Oak Specialty Care Center
Creating a unique and fun health experience for children's hospital
Understanding what drives the need for change
When Valley Children's Healthcare embarked on building three new outpatient specialty centers in California's Central Valley, they saw an opportunity to completely reimagine what a pediatric healthcare experience could be. The traditional sterile waiting room model simply wasn't meeting the needs of anxious children and stressed families who often faced long waits for appointments. The challenge was clear: how do you create a healthcare environment that feels more like a destination than a clinical necessity?
The project demanded a delicate balance between maintaining strict healthcare standards for cleanliness and durability while injecting genuine joy and comfort into every corner of the 52,000 square foot space. SmithGroup and Tangram needed to develop a prototype that could be replicated across multiple facilities, ensuring consistency in the patient experience while accommodating the diverse needs of families with children ranging from infants to teenagers.
How we brought the vision to life
The design team centered their strategy around the innovative Life Center concept, transforming the traditional lobby into an interactive hub that prioritizes engagement over mere waiting. Rather than rows of uncomfortable chairs facing a reception desk, they envisioned a space where families could genuinely relax and children could safely explore while maintaining clear sightlines for parents and staff.
Furniture selection became an exercise in thoughtful curation, with each piece serving multiple purposes. The Global River wave-shaped lounge brought organic movement to the space while providing comfortable seating for adults. Vibrant orange Steelcase Ripple Benches created visual anchors and conversation starters. The IOA Splat & Drip benches offered something entirely unique - climbable, reconfigurable seating that turned waiting time into play time. Every selection had to pass rigorous healthcare standards for antimicrobial properties and easy cleaning while contributing to an atmosphere that felt more like a children's museum than a medical facility.
3 professionals brought this vision to life
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