Project Data: 

Completion Date:     7/15/2024 

Square Footage:      350000 

Building Use:           Cancer Center 

Project Description: 

City of Hope is designed to help reduce stress, promote healing, and improve patient outcomes. Challenges include supporting families, addressing their needs, supporting staff morale, and workflow optimization.

Located on the Duarte, CA, campus, the project draws inspiration from the natural flow of water from the San Gabriel Mountains. The Hope Plaza outpatient center appears as a sculptural boulder within an ”urban river wash” landscape, referencing the site’s natural surroundings. This eight-story, 350,000-square-foot facility is now the largest building on the Duarte campus and anchors the newly activated northeast corner of campus.

The Hope Plaza outpatient center provides a compassionate, patient-centric approach while delivering comprehensive cancer care. A flexible, multidisciplinary program equipped with the latest technology is organized to meet patient needs and streamline care delivery, making Hope Plaza a one-stop location for outpatient cancer care and research. The campus now elevates feelings of wonder and joy, promoting holistic healing with stunning mountain views and a carefully curated art collection.

Designed as a leading cancer treatment facility for one of the country’s NCI-designated cancer Centers, Hope Plaza features 110 state-of-the-art infusion spaces, radiation oncology rooms, and research laboratories. The project harnesses nature via soothing views to create a compassionate, patient-centric approach while delivering high standards of cancer care through a flexible, multidisciplinary model utilizing the latest technology.


Drawing design inspiration from the nearby San Gabriel Mountains, the facility’s north face is all glass to showcase the stunning seasonal views of the mountains. In reference to the area’s alluvial plains and river wash, the natural elements of cobble-laden streams meander through the new park. They are expressed in the Hope Plaza building through carved interior walls with curved surfaces. The overall massing is inspired by a natural boulder carved by a stream, creating transparent public zones at the ground level that rise to the center of the building.

Hope Plaza’s transparent ground-floor plane symbolizes water and welcoming patients and visitors into the highly visible program. The east and west façades are clad in chevron-shaped anodized warm metal panels that change color with the day's passage. The perforated window shades provide dappled light. On the south façade, shades are located above the high-performance windows for increased solar control. The protruding top floor of the south façade houses the infusion pharmacy, which supports both standard of care and clinical research care.

The interior design strategically defines destinations along a patient’s journey, using the natural erosion pattern of boulders to create architectural blockings that pull from the mass of the building. The primary interior materials are inspired by warm desert tones, utilizing stone and wood as consistent materials that contribute to a sense of timelessness and stability. In contrast, smaller zones are enhanced with brighter colors, playful light fixtures, and unanticipated graphics and art. 

Design for Integration, Design for Equitable Communities, Design for Ecosystems, Design for Water , Design for Economy, Design for Energy, Design for Well-being, Design for Resources, Design for Change, Design for Discovery 

Design for Integration
The Hope Plaza cancer center incorporates patient-centric, outpatient services and achieves a balance between clinical excellence and healing. Standardized rooms are organized in pods around a central core, which minimizes walking distances while creating intimate, accessible spaces. The modular design allows these pods to adapt flexibly based on current needs, with procedure rooms strategically positioned for efficient sharing.

The design promotes a holistic experience for patients, their families and staff by maximizing the site’s natural beauty. Ample windows provide daylight and scenic views, while a tranquil healing park at the entrance encourages engagement with meditative outdoor areas. The landscape features native plants and kinetic art that interacts with the windy climate, providing moments of joy and surprise.

Hope Plaza effortlessly links to the larger research and healthcare campus through bridges and shared plazas. The use of complementary materials respects campus aesthetics. Dedicated spaces for clinical trials physically blend research with patient care, highlighting the principles of translational medicine. This evidence-based approach cultivates a healing atmosphere, striking a balance between efficiency and compassion that transforms cancer care delivery.

The Hope Plaza project emerged from the City of Hope’s growth as an internationally renowned cancer center specializing in complex cases. Their aging campus buildings had undergone numerous remodels, leaving programs disjointed and unable to integrate advancing technologies. The client envisioned a comprehensive facility consolidating fragmented programs into a convenient location for patients while providing respite spaces throughout. They sought an environment fostering staff collaboration, efficiency, and flexibility, while also incorporating advanced technology to enhance both care and patient experience.

The impact has been transformative. The facility honors City of Hope's natural healing heritage while positioning them for future advancement in cancer care and research. Standing at the campus entrance, Hope Plaza serves as a symbol of welcome and excellence. Patients now easily navigate through a single location with comprehensive services in a warm, non-clinical environment. The staff benefit from abundant daylight, views and collaborative spaces that enhance satisfaction and productivity. In addition, the community gains new jobs and the pride of a cutting-edge campus with gardens and gathering spaces — a beacon of health and healing throughout the region.

Design for Equitable Communities
Community engagement was integral to the design process. The team conducted extensive stakeholder consultations with nurses, physicians, researchers and faculty to optimize operational flows throughout the campus. An advisory board of peer architects from multiple firms was also established to collaborate on design features. Public hearings also allowed community members to voice their thoughts on the design, and feedback was incorporated by creating an accessible park with art and shading at the main entrance that is unrestricted by gates for community enjoyment. Hope Plaza enhances public health by expanding cancer care services while providing significant employment opportunities for local citizens.

The project benefits people beyond direct users by creating an unrestricted shaded public park with art installations accessible to the larger community. This green space, which replaces a parking lot, supports biodiversity, improves air quality and serves as a community amenity and a gathering space for events. Construction generated a substantial economic impact through jobs for local laborers and tradespeople. The expanded cancer care services improve healthcare access for the broader population while creating permanent employment opportunities across various skill levels, strengthening the local community.

Design for Ecosystems
Hope Plaza’s landscape design celebrates the beauty and diversity of its location at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and San Gabriel River. The landscape design reflects this regional character with an arroyo feature that references the alluvial fans and gravel deposits native to the area, connecting patients, staff and visitors to the regional ecology. Trees such as oaks, toyons and redbuds provide many species with food, including birds, butterflies, moths and bees. 163 newly planted tree canopies provide shade, increase water vapor and sequester carbon to support ecological health over time.

Design for Water
Hope Plaza’s storm drain system consists of planter drains, catch basins, and building points of connections to capture stormwater throughout the site. Stormwater flows via pipe conveyance to the existing Contech CDS pretreatment system and is then discharged to the infiltration pipe gallery on the south side of the campus. The infiltration system has a total capacity of 160,662 cubic feet, and the estimated runoff volume treated by the infiltration system for the project is 11,292 cubic feet.

Design for Economy
The architects utilized integrated project delivery, allowing builders to provide input on cost-effective methods and materials during the design. The prefabricated exterior enclosure was constructed in two-story panels, significantly reducing assembly time and costs on site. The design took advantage of the existing campus central plant infrastructure, eliminating the need for redundant mechanical and electrical equipment. The structural system implemented Sideplate welded technology, which required less steel, while lightweight concrete decreased the structural tonnage in select areas. A regular structural grid helped minimize the need for miscellaneous metals. Additionally, flexible and shell spaces accommodate future changes to maximize long-term value.

Design for Energy
The heating and cooling is provided by district chilled water and steam.
Heating hot water is generated for the building from the campus steam.
Air handling systems are located on the roof to preserve square footage and provide direct access to the outdoors for easy air economizing.
All LED lighting is incorporated throughout.

Hope Plaza employs strategic energy design through thoughtful orientation and envelope strategies. The north facade features full glazing for daylight without heat gain, while east, west, and south facades utilize calculated openings aligned with infusion bays. Context-responsive shading — vertical on east/west and horizontal on south — minimizes solar heat gain while creating architectural articulation. Central waiting areas span north-to-south, maximizing natural light. The project connects to the campus's renovated high-efficiency central plant for chilled water and steam. The parking structure is photovoltaic-ready for future energy generation. These combined strategies create an exceptionally energy-responsible healthcare facility.

Design for Well-being
The design prioritizes patient well-being through integrated healing strategies. Cancer patients undergoing intensive treatments like chemotherapy and radiation benefit greatly from environments that elevate human health. Comprehensive daylighting analysis measured solar irradiance and illuminance to provide healing daylight while protecting light-sensitive patients from glare through strategic shading. This approach maximizes the therapeutic nature views while ensuring comfort. Biophilic elements—including curved walls mimicking water-carved boulders, nature-inspired art, water features, and prospect-refuge spaces—create a calming atmosphere. The project incorporates extensive outdoor healing spaces, including an expansive park and sunken garden, supporting recovery by minimizing environmental stressors.

Design for Resources
Hope Plaza exemplifies design for resources through its use of recycled aluminum and lightweight concrete. The facade, clad in recycled aluminum on three sides, reduces environmental impact while offering durability and a modern aesthetic. Lightweight concrete on the elevated decks allowed for lighter gravity support steel, lighter lateral system, and reduced foundations. Together, these materials support energy efficiency, lower the carbon footprint, and align with City of Hope’s mission to foster healing environments. As the gateway to a world-renowned medical campus, Hope Plaza reflects a commitment not only to patient care but also to ecological responsibility and long-term resilience.

Design for Change
Hope Plaza is future-proofed by its modular design and flexible grid system, already demonstrating versatility as spaces undergo repurposing for unanticipated uses. Circulation paths and accessibility were strategically planned to maintain flow integrity regardless of future programming changes. The exterior envelope accounts for significant thermal protection during Duarte's extreme temperature fluctuations, ensuring long-term performance. Environmental risk mitigation includes substantial on-site stormwater retention to prevent flooding during intense weather events. While leveraging the efficient campus central plant, Hope Plaza incorporates emergency generators to maintain critical functions and life safety systems during disruptions, prioritizing patient safety under all circumstances.

Design for Discovery
The project embeds discovery on two levels. First, it creates moments of joy and inspiration, crucial for cancer patients' emotional wellbeing, through garden experiences, the integration of art, mountain views, and a hospitality-style lobby that transcends institutional aesthetics. Second, the collaborative process fostered discovery: contractors introduced prefabrication methods that revolutionized the facade; dialogue with medical staff revealed evolving cancer treatment needs; and innovative materials like custom GFRC panels created biophilic curved walls to mimic carved rock formations. This integrated approach between users, designers and builders enabled solutions that address current needs while maintaining flexibility for inevitable technological and treatment advances. 

Firm Name:              Joseph Donahue 

Completion Date:     7/15/2024 

Square Footage:      350000 

Building Use:           Cancer Center 

Location:                 Duarte, CA 

Design Architect: 

CO Architects 

Associate Architect or Firm: 

EwingCole 

Landscape Architect: 

Landscape Architect: MIG 

Owner / Developer: 

City of Hope  

Engineer: 

MEP Design-Builder: ACCO
Structural/Civil Engineer: KPFF
Lighting Designer: CSI/WSP (formerly tk1sc)
 

General Contractor: 

General Contractor: DPR Construction 

Consultant: 

Photographer: 

Photographers: Tom Bonner (exterior), Halkin/Mason Photography (interior)