Children’s Inn Project

Project Objective: Design the Beacon of Hope tower and courtyard for NIH Children’s Inn residents.

Process:

The Children’s Inn hosts patients aged 0-30 and their families while they are undergoing medical treatment for serious illnesses at the NIH. A new tower was being added to the existing resident spaces to create a special place for everyone to experience.

We worked with Perkins & Will to create a sense of arrival with the tower at the new front entrance, and made the courtyard a useable and interactive space for all guests. The ever-changing nature of kaleidoscopes was inspiring for a concept, and the three fractal pieces of the parti diagram represent the medical, social, and emotional needs that are met by the NIH and Children’s Inn. The lower tower is an interactive, playful space and the upper tower is calm and contemplative.

Teammates: Mary Armintrout, Rebecca Friedman, and Cece Witherspoon (roles were equally shared)