At the heart of Atrium Health’s multi-site cancer center expansion is a simple yet powerful mission: to offer a comforting, dignified, and holistic experience for patients, families, and caregivers as they navigate their journey toward healing. As the first cancer center in the world to be certified by the Planetree Organization, the project exemplifies a global benchmark in person-centered design—where empathy, accessibility, and wellness are deeply integrated into the care environment.

Rooted in a framework of compassion and continuous improvement, the design was guided by four foundational principles: celebrating interaction, supporting the journey, honoring mind/body/spirit, and providing holistic care. These principles were refined through immersive patient experience workshops conducted with the Patient/Family Advisory Council, whose insights shaped everything from layout to materiality. The result is a facility that does not just serve patients—it listens to them.
The design responds to several strategic goals: enabling contiguous growth to the existing building, consolidating staff for operational efficiency, enhancing the patient journey, and improving departmental adjacency. A seamless arrival sequence, intuitive navigation, and updated clinical spaces support these objectives, all while uplifting the emotional and physical experience of those who walk through the center’s doors.

Twelve key “touch points” in the care journey were analyzed through cross-disciplinary workshops, helping to reimagine every interaction—from check-in to chemotherapy. These collaborative sessions led to transformative spatial and operational improvements, including a centralized lab and registration area, enhanced dining amenities, and a new interfaith chapel that provides spiritual sanctuary for individuals of all beliefs.

At the heart of the center’s healing ethos are the infusion bays—divided into four pods with a total of 15 stations each, including private and semi-private options. These bays offer patients choice, privacy, and comfort, while maintaining critical staff visibility and connectivity. Adjacent to the infusion areas is a verdant rooftop garden featuring kinetic sculptures, a blue-glass stream, and a vibrant array of plantings—all designed to provide meaningful natural distractions during extended treatment sessions.

Throughout the center, natural light is leveraged as a healing element, flooding interiors with warmth and connecting patients to the outside world. Material finishes, views to landscaped gardens, and a palette inspired by nature work in concert to create a serene, supportive environment that reduces stress and promotes wellness.

More than an expansion, this project redefines cancer care delivery across Atrium’s network. By unifying care teams, aligning with growth objectives, and delivering a radically improved patient experience, the new center reinforces Atrium Health’s commitment to both clinical excellence and compassionate care. It is a place where architecture supports healing, and where every design decision is made with humanity at its core.