By Healthcare Facilities Today

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital opened a specialized building to promote the facility’s pet therapy program — a first of its kind in the U.S, according to an article on the Healthcare Construction + Operations website.

Designed by GBBN Architects, the 250-square-foot, three-sided building creates a dedicated space for family pets to come visit their young owners while at the hospital. Currently, cats and dogs are able to visit children whose stays are longer than five days, the article said.

“This is extremely new to the hospital world,” said Aaron Anderson, LEED AP, senior associate at GBBN, in the article. “We wanted a simple shelter with a prefab system for quality control and cost."

One major challenge in bringing the pet therapy building to fruition was integrating the center into the medical campus without creating any safety or code issues, the article said.

Located in a former concrete courtyard, the building was designed with glass walls and a bright blue metal roof of aluminum composite to match the hospital’s architectural language. A large, brightly colored orange paw is stamped on one wall and the remaining walls feature patterns similar to tree branches to evoke a connection to the outdoors.

The hospital’s pet therapy program has gained attention from other health care facilities and the children’s hospital is developing a research program to demonstrate the benefits of the center, the article said.

“We want to help educate others. This really improves the lives of the patients and their families and helps relieve the suffering and separation of long-term hospitalization,” Anderson said. 

Read the article.