UNC Rex Cancer Center: Empathy in Design

Back To Projects

UNC Rex Healthcare

Raleigh, North Carolina

145,000 SF

Modern healthcare reception area with a curved white and wood-toned welcome desk. A woman in a navy blue top stands near the desk, with a receptionist seated behind. The space features a stone accent wall with colorful abstract artwork and a linear fireplace. Digital signage displays 'UNC' branding. A grand piano is visible in the seating area, and several people are seated on gray furniture. The room has a bright, open design with recessed lighting and a clean, welcoming aesthetic. This image shows BSA's expertise in designing welcoming spaces that enhance the patient experience.
Spacious, modern interior patient waiting room of the UNC Rex Cancer Center with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. A stone accent wall features four large, colorful abstract art panels in blue and red tones. A linear fireplace is mounted below the artwork. The space is furnished with light blue and green seating including chairs, ottomans, and a sofa. Two people are seated in the lounge, one reading a book and another working on a laptop. Natural light floods the room, offering a view of trees and a parking area outside.
Modern healthcare reception area with a curved white and wood-toned welcome desk. A woman in a grey top and jeans stands near the desk, with a receptionist seated behind. Behind the desk is a textured glass pall separating the reception space from the waiting room while maintaining an open feel. The waiting space behind the desk features a stone accent wall with colorful abstract artwork and a linear fireplace. The room has a bright, open design with recessed lighting and a clean, welcoming aesthetic. This image shows BSA's expertise in designing welcoming spaces that enhance the patient experience.
A modern enclosed interior patient waiting room of the UNC Rex Cancer Center centered around an abstract mural of an ocean. The space is furnished with light blue and green seating including chairs and ottomans. Two people are seated in the lounge, one scrolling on her phone.
Infusion center or treatment room in the UNC Rex Cancer Center with multiple stations along a floor-to-ceiling windowed wall with a view of lush greenery. Opposite to the infusion chairs is a nurse's station with textured blue siding that looks like ocean waves. Each station has aqua blue reclining chairs is separated by wood partitions.
Medical radiation therapy room with advanced linear accelerator equipment. A healthcare professional in a white lab coat stands near sliding glass doors with a mountain landscape view. The room features a large white radiation therapy machine on the right, a patient positioning table in the center, and wood-toned cabinetry and counters on the left. The space has a clean, modern design with white and blue color tones, recessed lighting, and a wood-paneled ceiling.
The image shows a modern healthcare facility, specifically a UNC Health Cancer Care center, photographed at dusk or early evening. The multi-story building features a contemporary architectural design with a combination of glass, stone, and metal elements. The front entrance is covered by an extended overhang that looks like metal. The top of the building has a large LED blue light on the roofline, giving the building a distinct blue glow.
The image shows a close up of a modern healthcare facility, specifically a UNC Health Cancer Care center. The multi-story building features a contemporary architectural design with a combination of glass, stone (specifically, beige and black brick), and metal elements. The landscaping curved walkways leading to the building. There are outdoor tables with chairs where hospital staff are enjoying lunch. The overall design blends functionality with a welcoming aesthetic appropriate for a medical facility.

Innovative Cancer Care Design: UNC Rex Cancer Center

As UNC Rex Healthcare’s cancer treatment services expanded beyond existing medical building design capacities, leaders saw an opportunity to create a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer facility rather than simply expanding current spaces. The existing facilities were landlocked, necessitating a custom building design on a new site that would accommodate future healthcare facility growth. A key question guided the process: How will this facility adapt to advancements in cancer treatment and future expansion? To ensure decision-makers could be fully engaged in the process of developing the design for the UNC Rex Cancer Center, the BSA team utilized technology to visually show people how their input might take concrete form.

Technology-Driven Patient-Centered Design

BSA, a leading healthcare architecture firm, applied a “mapping with empathy” approach. This approached involved virtually walking different user personas (like patients and healthcare providers) through the proposed design for the new Cancer Center. Additionally, the team diagrammed the flows for each patient type. 21 different patient flow experiences were identified and our team traced their key steps. Many of these flows would be experienced by the same patient during different visits to the same facility, so the BSA team optimized the routes for efficiency and personalized care while maintaining standardized healthcare interior design and patient experience. The goal: ease of use for the patient.

The interior architecture team then used a computer-simulated model and choreographed the entire patient experience. Specific interactions tracked included:

  • Patient wait times
  • Staff handoffs from registration to a patient navigator to care team
  • Staff utilization
  • Vehicular traffic flow and valet queuing
  • Parking layouts
  • Other high-congestion zones

 

All in all, this approach provided key insights to improve the arrival experience for patients and families. Finally, the team simulated combining several stand-alone specialty cancer clinics (with separate registration) into one centralized registration process.

Optimizing Centralized Registration for Enhanced Patient Experience

What was the outcome of the model? Simulation modeling revealed that a centralized registration system for all patient types could lead to bottlenecks, which may negatively impact the patient experience. To limit the risk of backups yet still maintain a centralized registration experience, the team implemented several solutions:

  1. Optimizing registration bays to minimize peak-time wait periods
  2. Integrating online pre-registration and assisted kiosk check-ins for returning patients
  3. Allowing specific patient populations to bypass daily registration and go directly to treatment areas, such as radiation oncology patients who visit daily during intense treatment periods

Planning for Growth with Adaptive Design

BSA, a top architecture firm, incorporated sustainable hospital design principles to ensure adaptability for future expansion. By modeling various patient volume scenarios, the team identified when the facility would reach maximum capacity and made critical custom hospital design plan refinements. Key adjustments included:

  • Departmental expansion zones integrated into the initial design
  • A flexible 4th-floor addition in the first phase, designed for future healthcare needs

 

The result? The project team viewed empathy as important as data-driven metrics and the need for a viable proforma. The project’s success stemmed from a holistic approach combining qualitative and quantitative insights. By integrating sustainable building design, leading healthcare engineering solutions, and cutting-edge healthcare construction management, the facility supports both operational efficiency and patient-centered care.

View the simulation model here.

View other Healing projects.

Disciplines

Architecture, Interior Design, Planning

Awards

2023 – Triangle Business Journal: Space Award, Top State/County/Municipal Project; 2023 – Healthcare Design Showcase: Finalist