Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Outpatient Center

The Challenge

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago – Illinois’ top-ranked children’s hospital – set out to extend its reach into the northwest suburbs by creating its first newly constructed facility outside the flagship downtown campus. The goal was to deliver Lurie Children’s nationally recognized, specialized pediatric care in a suburban setting without compromising the hospital’s high standards for safety, quality and a child- and family-centered experience.

The site presented notable design challenges, including steep grade changes, the integration of a detention pond and limited area suitable for development. Additionally, the project was constrained by a lean budget, which demanded thoughtful design decisions to ensure every aspect of the outpatient center added meaningful value for patients, families and care teams.

The Design Solution

HKS designed a 75,000-square-foot pediatric outpatient center that consolidates a wide range of specialty care and ancillary services – including cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, audiology, imaging, behavioral health, allied health therapies and infusion – into a cohesive, child-centered environment. The planning framework focused on flexibility and efficiency, featuring standardized exam modules and centralized team spaces to support cross-disciplinary collaboration and facilitate future adaptability. Staff circulation areas are strategically located offstage to minimize stress for families, while telemedicine-enabled rooms expand caregiving capacity without increasing the building’s physical footprint.

To ensure the design responded to the needs of its youngest users, HKS partnered with the hospital’s Kids Advisory Board, consisting of current and former pediatric patients. Their input influenced key design elements, such as sensory-friendly materials, soothing color palettes and playful waiting areas designed to accommodate diverse mobility needs, including wheelchair access.

All public restrooms are designed as single-user facilities to ensure both privacy and inclusiveness. The public restrooms include changing stations for babies and adults, in recognition of the caregiving demands of families with complex needs.

Natural light and a connection to nature are integrated into the design as healing tools. The infusion center is situated along the building’s southern edge, offering patients restorative views of a rehabilitated prairie landscape and detention pond. The facility’s double-height glazed lobby and covered outdoor terrace invite daylight deep into the building and create moments of delight and respite. The building’s exterior reflects Lurie Children’s brand through a façade design that is playful and recognizable yet scaled and softened to suit the suburban context.

The team made strategic design and system choices that balanced budgetary needs with long-term performance. The use of steel framing, early energy modeling, LED lighting, radiant floor heating in the lobby and high-performance glazing helped achieve an ambitious predicted energy use intensity (pEUI) of 38 kBtu/ft²/year – a 58% reduction from the baseline calculated by the AIA 2030 Commitment Design Data Exchange (DDx) tool – without sacrificing comfort or experience. Site strategies such as permeable paving and prairie restoration reinforce sustainability and support biodiversity.

The Design Impact

Lurie Children’s Schaumburg Outpatient Center marks a significant milestone in the hospital’s commitment to equitable, community-based care. In its first year of operation, the center is expected to serve more than 60,000 pediatric patient visits, significantly easing the burden on families who previously had to travel to the hospital’s downtown Chicago campus. The facility includes the Chicago region’s first pediatric-only ambulatory infusion center outside of a hospital, making advanced treatment for complex conditions more accessible, less intimidating and closer to home.

From an operational perspective, standardized clinic planning and flexible modules improve workflow efficiency, allowing for a greater number of patient visits per day. The integration of telemedicine extended the reach of Lurie Children’s providers, while undeveloped shell space on the third floor creates opportunities for growth in the future.

This building sets a new standard for pediatric outpatient environments. It is vibrant yet empathetic, efficient yet adaptable. Through a focused mission, meaningful collaboration and thoughtful design, the project demonstrates that a lean budget can deliver a space that is joyful, healing and unmistakably designed for children.