Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos has acquired extensive experience in the design of children's health care with 28 projects for the Teletón FOundation that have been treated as non-profit undertakings by the firm, which has worked on them in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity with the impared children of Mexico.
Naturally the HITO design, sensorial experience and the warmth of the staff mark the difference between a general hospital and the HITO a clear example of how a children's hospital need not be sober, monochromatic, or dull. These spaces provide an appropriate environment for children to play together while they are undergoing treatment with the use of color, one of the fundamental concepts of the project.
The architectural concept is based on the idea of a chain of cells making different movements, which represented the principle of cell regeneration. Each of these cells is represented by a volume, to give a total of nine sections, which contain the entire project within their curving form.
On the façade, each volume plays with a different inclination and has a series of vertical brackets that function as structural columns, eliminating the need for internal columns, as well as protecting from excess solar gain.
The main entrance is located in the center of the complex, and the distinct areas are distributed from the reception over different levels. There are four general levels, with an extra level in some of the sections, to accommodate future growth in the wards and chemotherapy areas.