University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Ambulatory Clinical Building

Houston, Texas

Firm

FKP

Client

University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Area

782,000 sq.ft.

Completion Date

12/2004

The new ambulatory clinical building is the first facility for the M.D. Anderson satellite campus that was derived from master plan concepts of providing patient-focused, comprehensive cancer care outside the main campus. The Lowry and Peggy Mays Ambulatory Clinical Building includes eight floors of new treatment and diagnostic space for cancer patients, primarily in the disease centers for breast, GYN, GU and urology.
The ambulatory clinical building is designed to accommodate intensive clinical trials. M.D. Anderson is known for the expedited “bench to bedside” approach to discovering and deploying new clinical techniques, so research clinicians participated heavily in the planning and design to ensure that the building could accommodate this approach. Clinicians also provided guidance on the function that supported recruiting and nurturing of clinical candidates. The project called for fast-track construction. In fact, the designers were still in the space program and schematic design phase while shell building construction was underway.
Flexibility was a major consideration. Exam rooms were standardized to accommodate multiple clinical specialties over the life of the building. Convenient access to the site occurs through multiple means—street approach with associated parking, and overhead pedestrian/tram bridges through or by link to the city’s light-rail system. An elevated pedestrian/golf cart skybridge connects the building with faculty offices and the main campus.