In late June of this year, more than two weeks ahead of schedule, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., completed construction for the new 279,000-square-foot Rady Children’s Hospital Acute Care Pavilion, creating a healing oasis like no other in the country. The new $260 million Acute Care Pavilion is the first acute care facility in the state to meet the rigorous standards for quality and safety mandated by OSHPD, while also achieving the level of occupant health and environmental sustainability required to earn LEED-Certified status. The facility will be equipped and staffed to receive patients on Oct. 10. The Acute Care Pavilion will house a much-needed surgical center, 84 medical-surgical beds, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and a cancer center. It also will provide 16 operating rooms with associated support departments, a 28-bed hematology and oncology unit, and a 10-bed bone marrow transplant intensive care unit. The facility earned an “Innovation in Design” credit for the introduction of a series of healing gardens that utilize sustainable design principles and embrace the hospital’s healing arts program, which seeks to enrich the experience of patients, families and staff via visual and performing arts and provide "time out" opportunities from the stress of medical crisis. Central to the theme of the Acute Care Pavilion is the “River of Life”, manifested through an immense, four-story mineral panel that incorporates a kinetic lighting system and radiates a rainbow of vibrant colors through the front entry curtain wall. A mosaic tile version of the "River of Life" flows from the mineral lobby wall, out the front door and into the first-floor courtyard, which serves as one of several healing gardens named "Carley's Magical Gardens". The project team achieved 23 percent below Title 24 requirements for energy efficiency. The building utilizes recycled and locally obtained steel, concrete and other building materials; low VOC-emitting paints, glues, carpet, and wood; water-efficient landscaping; and abundant daylighting. A reflective concrete "cool roof" system helps minimize heat gain and control rainwater run-off, and painted steel screens conceal rooftop mechanical systems. The entire campus has been declared a "no smoking" zone. The new Rady Children's Hospital Acute Care Pavilion is on track to achieve 31 of the 26 points needed for LEED Certification.

Project Information

Project Address: 

3020 Children’s Way, San Diego, California, 92123

Project Owner/ Developer: 

Rady Children's Hospital

Owner Contact Name/ Email: 

Tim Jacoby, tjacoby@rchsd.org

Project Architect/ Designer: 

Anshen+Allen

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