Design of medical plaza supports social development in kids

Rady Children’s Medical Plaza’s play spaces support learning and provide a therapeutic environment for its young patients.

Photo courtesy of Stantec

Prior to opening its newest facility, pediatric patients on the autism spectrum who lived east of Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego often had to travel more than an hour to receive the specialized developmental care offered by the hospital.

Now, with the opening of Rady Children’s Medical Plaza in Riverside County, Calif., many of those patients can receive care in a facility closer to home.

Rady partnered with McCarthy Building Cos. and Stantec as the design-build team for the 62,500-square-foot facility. It offers pediatric services, including primary care and subspecialty care, as well as developmental services and specialized programs for children on the autism spectrum, such as a toddler preschool and inclusion center that prepares children with autism for primary school. The plaza features an outdoor playground that supports learning through play and physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development.

Joanne McAllister, principal at Stantec, says the team paid attention to light, sound and color in designing the facility.

The new facility features tones of green and blue and hot-air balloon graphics throughout. Ceiling tiles in the lobby are designed to mimic cloud shapes. To help control acoustics, the plaza features lower ceilings in the reading and napping areas, as well as softer furniture to produce a quieter area.