The new Gary C. Werths Building at Siteman Cancer Center on the Washington University Medical Campus realizes a bold vision for patient-centered, outpatient cancer care through the blending of state-of-the-art technology and robust amenities that support patients’ individual healing journeys.
To realize this ambitious vision, Lawrence Group partnered with Perkins Eastman to design the cutting-edge, 657,250-square-foot facility, which officially opened on Sept. 30, 2024. The state-of-the-art cancer center serves patients of Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, from throughout the region. The building’s advanced design supports the world-class medical team and research and will ensure healing outcomes for years to come – while leaving a bold mark on the urban fabric of St. Louis.
“Patients inspire everything we do,” said Siteman Director Timothy J. Eberlein, MD. “This facility expands on our 25-year history of leading-edge care and consolidates outpatient care to make visits easier for patients. We want every patient who walks through our doors to experience a supportive, calming and hopeful environment. This building was created with those goals in mind.”
Located near Forest Park in St. Louis, the Gary C. Werths Building is Siteman’s newest outpatient facility dedicated to multidisciplinary cancer care. About 75,000 people seek care each year at Siteman’s six locations for adult patients, with that number growing as more patients from around the country and beyond seek the expertise of WashU Medicine and BJC HealthCare cancer specialists and access to leading-edge clinical trials at Siteman.
This new model for cancer center design centralizes exam and specialty care spaces for an efficient patient experience, bringing together clinical services, including infusion therapy, clinical trials and diagnostic imaging, all under one roof to foster collaboration among multidisciplinary care teams.
The Gary C. Werths Building features 101 exam rooms, 88 private infusion rooms, and radiology and diagnostic imaging services, as well as nourishment stations, electric fireplaces, cozy seating and tables for playing games or crafting. A welcome desk, café, inviting lobby with seating, consultation spaces, information center/gift shop and retail pharmacy are located on the building’s first floor.
“This new model on the Washington University Medical Campus allows for multispecialty treatment through an innovative and patient-focused process. The design team conducted comprehensive visioning workshops and programming, planning and coordination meetings with administration, staff, physicians and other stakeholders to develop a set of guiding principles and goals for the design and practice,” said Lawrence Group Architect Sally Prather, AIA, NCARB, CDT, LEED Green Associate.
Patient comfort and convenience were a focal point of the facility’s interior design. This was achieved through such biophilic elements as nature-themed artwork curated from local artists and materials that emulate textures and colors commonly found in nature.
“We wanted the spaces to feel nurturing and comfortable, allowing patients and their families to experience the healing power of nature through natural daylighting, warm wood tones, quality finishes, soft ceiling elements and hospitality-inspired lighting,” said Lawrence Group Senior Interior Designer Becky Egan, NCIDQ.
Lawrence Group’s landscape design team drew upon the natural landscape of nearby Forest Park to envision a pair of large rooftop terraces lush with vegetation that are visible to patients from the building’s interior.
“Our landscape architects used this opportunity to design vibrant viewing gardens that are visible from public lobby spaces as well as private infusion rooms,” said Egan. “The terrace design consists of a series of custom aluminum planters and sculptural concrete planters filled with native Missouri plant material intended to create stunning glimpses of nature against the bold city skyline. Over 40 different plant species were utilized to create soft and bold masses of color and texture that aim to provide a relaxing experience for patients and visitors.”
Creating an intuitive and welcoming arrival sequence was also an important element of the center’s innovative design. The nine-story building incorporates three stories of parking integrated into the facility. Patients and visitors arriving for appointments can drive to a drop-off vestibule at the first-floor entrance, with parking available on floors two through four. Elevators provide access to the building’s clinical spaces on the first, fifth, sixth and eighth floors. Visitors can also take a pedestrian walkway that connects the cancer center’s fourth floor to the rest of the Washington University Medical Campus.
“Instead of having to park across the street or walk across a connecting bridge, the building offers integrated parking and convenient access to appointment areas for patients and families,” said Prather. “In order to screen the three floors of parking from public view, the team took the opportunity to design an art piece on the exterior of the parking floors that features metal fins of varying depths that catch the light in a visually interesting way. This created a double helix pattern representing WashU and Barnes-Jewish Hospitals’ dedication to science and technology.”
Lawrence Group/Perkins Eastman was awarded the project in 2019. The COVID outbreak delayed the project for about a year. The general contractor on the project was Clayco, with Introba providing the engineering services.
“The team worked to ensure that the new cancer center looked cohesive with the other buildings on campus and integrated seamlessly into the surrounding Central West End neighborhood,” said Egan.
For more information about this project visit Gary C. Werths Building at Siteman Cancer Center – The Lawrence Group