DELL CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER

NAME : Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas

LOCATION: 4900 Mueller Blvd, Austin, Texas, United States
BEDS : 248
OPENED : 2007
COMPANY : karlsberger
CLIENT : seton healthcare network

DESCRIPTION
Dell childrens medical hospital of central Texas is the largest childrens hospital in central
Texas, with 480,000 square feet of space dedicated to the healing of children. The 32 acre
campus opened in June 2007 as part of the seton family of hospitals, and includes children
focused facilities such as a healing garden, therapy pool, surgical operating room, diagnostic
facilities, emergency treatment centre, and outpatient rehabilitation facilities.

HIGH PERFORMANCE FACILITY

For the client, a high performance facility including state of the art energy efficiency was
critical, achieving LEED certification was also an important goal for the hospital. In fact, dell
childrens medical centre is the first health care facility to achieve LEED platinum
certification, the higher level of LEED building certification available.

CONCEPT
 Dell childrens medical centre of Texas was built in place of a former airport and
finished in July 2007.
 Dell was designed to heal children without harming the environment.
 Their goal was achieve leed platinum level certification
 Dell was inspired by historic Texas mission architecture.
 So the hospital includes built in stress reducing amenities including six open air
‘heating courtyards’ represents the six eco-systems found in Texas.
SPECIALITY
Dell Children’s Medical Center is proud to be the first hospital in the world to earn platinum
certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for outstanding Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED).
This designation means that we have exceeded environmental standards in five areas:

 sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, selection of materials

and resources and indoor environmental quality.
 Inspired by historic examples of Texas’ Mission architecture, the blocks are pierced
by six courtyards, which serve as visual cues for wayfinding.
 The building’s primary circulation system is organized around the crossing of two
axes, the Wood Wall, and the Rock Wall.
 Cardo and Decumanus, the lobby and visitor elevators are located at this important
crossing, overlooking a four-story central healing courtyard.

CIRCULATION, ZONING AND ACCESS

 Organized around the crossing of two axes the wood wall and the rock wall
 Lobby and visitor elevators are located at the
crossing in the middle that over looks a four story
centered healing courtyard .
 The 6 courtyard are are visual cues to way finding
 Each floor has different focus
 1st floor private spaces ,2nd floor special care,
patient rooms care , patient rooms and labs,3rd
floor lobby and public spaces,4th floor surgery,
laboratory and procedure rooms

LESS CEMENT AND REUSE

One of the team’s goals was to reduce cement use, which creates carbon dioxide and
contributes to the greenhouse effect. Instead, they substituted fly ash [a coal combustion
product] for a portion of the cement, pouring 41,000 cubic yards of the fly-ash concrete on
the foundation and walls. Instead of removing and dumping asphalt from the old airport
runways, general contractor White Construction opted to grind up 35,000 tons of asphalt
and reuse it on the muddy job site as stabilized base for parking areas. Reusing the asphalt
generated LEED points for recycled materials.

SUSTAINABLE FEATURES
 using the courtyards as the lungs of the building to provide cooler, cleaner fresh air to
the many air-handling units distributed throughout the hospital, and as a primary
source of natural light, contributing to daylight in 60 percent of spaces unrestricted by
medical demands.
 The hospital also achieves a 35 percent reduction in potable water use by using
reclaimed water for landscape,
  uses low flow plumbing fixtures, motion sensor lighting controls and under floor air
distribution where possible.
 Other recycled and environmentally friendly materials, such as low VOC paints and
adhesives, wheatboard casework, linoleum flooring, and recycled carpet and ceiling
tiles, combine to provide central Texas with a unique healing environment that is
trend-setting both in its design and its commitment to the environment.
 The entire building will be wireless, and electronic records will replace paper
documentation.
 In addition to the latest technological advancements, the facility will have “LEED”
Certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), which translates into
an energy- efficient, environmentally friendly building that maximizes daylight, green
spaces, zoned climate control and air quality

SUSTAINABLE
FEATURES

WATER, ENERGY AND GREEN CONSTRUCTION

This new building has laid great emphasis on its “green” credentials. Water Conservation, an
important issue in this area, has received great emphasis. The hospital will contain a
rainwater collection system and will be xeriscape (needing minimum water) for water
efficiency.
Energy efficiency has also been an important issue and the new children’s facility will
contain solar panels and heat recovery system and high efficiency equipment.

The new children’s facility will utilize building materials and interior finishes which contain
recycled materials, are recyclable or reusable, and cause the least environmental harm during
manufacture, use and disposal. The hospital will reduce emissions of toxic or dangerous
substances into the environment by utilizing materials that do not emit high levels of volatile
organic compounds

INTEGRATING HUMAN HEALTH

INTO GREEN BUILDING

The children’s hospital will enhance the health and comfort of building occupants by
optimizing natural daylight through effective design. Indoor air quality will be improved
through purifiers and ventilation in order to eliminate undesirable health effects from airborne
pollutants.

The LEED Green Building Rating System, referred to earlier, is a voluntary, consensus-based
national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the
US Green Building Council representing all segments of the building industry developed
LEED and continue to contribute to its evolution.

INTERIOR DESIGN

Healthy Interior – The hospital gained LEED points for healthy interior selections, such as
paints and adhesives with low or no volatile organic content. For example, most of the
flooring is natural linoleum applied with green label adhesives. In carpeted areas, flooring
contractor Intertech Flooring chose carpet with recycled content and backing made of
recycled soda bottles.
 Natural light – a
hub and spoke
design incorporates seven interior courtyards that bring natural
light throughout the building. The courtyards represent the
ecosystems found in the hospitals 40 country service area, and place natural light sources
within 64 feet throughout the facility. ‘in
addition, the courtyards are great way- finding
tool for young patients who cant read signs
yet,and provide a place for families to relax
and preoccupy themselves’.

Inspired by historic examples of Texas’ Mission

architecture, the blocks are pierced by six courtyards, which serve as visual cues for
wayfinding. The building’s primary circulation system is organized around the crossing of
two axes, the Wood Wall, and the Rock Wall. As Cardo and Decumanus, the lobby and visitor
elevators are located at this important crossing, overlooking a four-story central healing
courtyard. 

EXTERIOR DESIGN
To provide a landmark for visitors, karlsberger designed unoccupied, 145 ft tall steel frame
tower clad in glass, stone and metal and topped it with a white tensile fabric sculptural
element that recalls the headpieces of the nuns who founded the original hospital.
 The north/south axis is marked by a 385-ft.-long wall, visible on all four floors, made of a
patterned laminate that simulates the look of mesquite (real mesquite wouldn’t pass local fire
codes).“The Red Rock Wall runs from the campus front entry to  the front of the building and
all the way through on all floors; it acts as a major organizer,” Clements explains. “It’s an
inherent navigational aid and reference point. Using either the Red Rock Wall or the Wood
Wall, people can easily and intuitively get to the center of the building and therefore to the
elevators.”

SITE PLAN
 TOP VIEW

FLOOR PLANS

SECTION
ELEVATION

DETAIL FLOOR PLANS

FIRST FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN

THIRD FLOOR PLAN

FOURTH FLOOR PLAN