By HFT Staff

The nine-story, 300,000-square-foot facility houses a number of pediatric outpatient services, centralizing them all in one location. Designed by CannonDesign in partnership with McCarthy Building Companies (General Contractor) and Jacobs (Project Manager), the tower houses five floors of specialty clinics; a research institute floor for clinical trials and pediatric research; oncology infusion services; a comprehensive imaging center; and other vital resources and amenities for children and families. 

Designed to complement CHOC’s Bill Holmes Tower, completed in 2012 and designed by CannonDesign and built by McCarthy, the outpatient facility boasts vibrant colors and biophilic elements that reflect the varied natural landscape of southern California. 

Anchoring a prominent corner in Orange, California, the tower features a distinctive red and silver facade, accented by dynamic lighting woven into its solar fins. These illuminated fins are densest at the building’s primary corner, gradually tapering off toward the edges, which creates a shimmering, kinetic effect as the building is viewed in motion. 

The curving form of the building makes it a landmark for those driving on the adjacent 22 Freeway. A terrace on the perimeter follows the curvature of the tower, making it appear as though the landscape itself rises with the tower, and reinforcing the building’s fluid presence. 

Vivid and informative experiential graphics and wayfinding are infused throughout the building, many featuring CHOC’s beloved mascot, Choco the Bear, and other elements that celebrate the institution’s “Long Live Childhood” mantra. Waiting areas are sprinkled with interactive activities designed to educate children about healthy habits and more.  

Special design features within the building include: 

• Elevators on floors four through nine include shadowboxes with Choco graphics personalized to the floors and are filled with nostalgic Mattel toys, from Barbie to Fischer Price and more. 
• Kid-sized interactive wall graphics feature educational tidbits about topics like sleep health, movement, nutrition and more. 
• Niches invite visitors to capture a selfie moment with illuminated tri-lingual graphics showcasing the five pillars of health: movement, relations, mental, sleep and nutrition. 
• Specialty clinics feature immersive murals inspired by the natural beauty of Southern California and iconic attractions. 
• Dedicated play areas let kids be kids and help to reduce anxiety and stress during waits or in between visits. 
• Lighting and floor patterning are designed to act as another method of wayfinding to guide visitors through each floor. 

Alongside the opening of the outpatient tower, CHOC opened a 24-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit and a 28-bed neuroscience unit within the Bill Holmes Tower to meet increased demand for these high-acuity services. These spaces were also designed by our CannonDesign team. 

CannonDesign partnered with McCarthy Building Companies and Jacobs on the Tower. Leveraging deep expertise in healthcare construction, McCarthy Building Companies, the general contractor for the project, broke ground on the project in 2022. Over the past two years, nearly 200 team members have focused on quality, safety, and innovation to bring the project to fruition. The firm worked closely with CHOC, construction manager Jacobs and the design team to ensure the new space not only meets the highest standards of medical excellence but also reflects CHOC’s commitment to patient-centered care.