The Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Ambulatory Care Center features two major landscape spaces: a 2.6-acre plaza over underground parking, and a 14,000-square-foot roof garden. The variety of spaces at The Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, ranging from immersive medicinal gardens to informal lawns, create a diverse set of experiences that engage the patients, visitors and staff of the center. The highly visible gardens promote well-being through sensory stimuli based on color, sound, tactility and fragrance.

The sixth floor roof garden provide not only a place of respite for staff and patients, but also therapeutic opportunities through production gardens, an interactive fountain rill, and a rehabilitation course. The interplay between the Schuylkill River inspired fountain and the planting beds that reference the street grid of Philadelphia, endow the landscape with a sense of place within the local context.

The building is designed to provide patients with views of the plaza and roof garden. Material and formal elements unify the two spaces providing visual engagement from all vantage points. The highly-engineered landscape is scaled for children of all ages and it provides a cheerful and playful experience. Studies show that green space provides a calming influence that reduces stress, speeds the healing process, and increases productivity. Patients often report feeling better after spending time in a garden and tolerate medical procedures more easily. The newly created landscapes embody the Ambulatory Care Center’s mission as a designated place for reflection, recovery, and healing by using the best sustainable practices and green initiatives, which in turn reflect a lush and healthy ecology.