The 115,000-square-foot center features a therapy garden, aquatic therapy pools and 7,500 square feet rehabilitative therapy gyms. The focus of the overall design was to create positive impressions. A long queuing area has been constructed under a canopy which overlooks the therapeutic garden, facilitating the families to unload as they enter.
The therapy spaces which are located on every floor overlook the therapeutic garden. The passive play elements are embedded at a low level for kids to intermingle with them. The designs of everything including the reception desks are done in such a way that a person on a wheelchair can also observe everything.
The facility has been designed with a focus on positive aspects to reflect the potential of each child. A line ‘In my mind, I can do anything’, has been engraved in the lobby inside the center. The wall also highlights the word “mind” in that phrase and features an image of the brain, emphasizing on a research done at Kennedy Krieger.
The aesthetics are modern and predominantly finished in glass and precast. The design team used lot of passive play elements and embedded materials at a low level for children to interact. The colors, textures, materials and patterns used inside the building were carefully chosen, so as not to overstimulate the children with autism or some other behavioral disorders.
The aquatic therapy center located on the top floor of the building has two pools with plenty of natural light. The design of the pool enables even the wheel chaired children to move to the surface of the pool bed, with the floor recessing down and water level rising to their level.
The garden features rooms for therapeutic mobility activities and areas where children can practice real-life experiences. An open space has also been left in the garden to enable children to play with their imagination. Another area with seating under flowering trees is also constructed in the hospital which has a small labyrinth along with a water feature in the middle.
