Two CannonDesign projects receive Healthcare Design Remodel/Renovation Competition awards

Hcd Renovation Competition 2025

October 27, 2025

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Our work on Boston Children's Hospital's Neurology Floor and Texas Children's Hospital's West Tower Emergency Center was recognized with Silver and Bronze Awards, respectively.

The Boston Children's project is one floor of a multiphase renovation project to align the organization's Main Building interiors with the rest of the new construction and operations elsewhere on the Boston Children’s Hospital campus. The neurology floor renovations created all private rooms, behavioral health-friendly rooms and modernized staff support spaces.

Many of the rooms in the pre-renovation space were cramped doubles, and the clinical areas showed their wear, creating a disconnect from the hospital’s mission to inspire healing and hope. Boston Children’s Hospital envisioned a “Better than New” experience to address the various challenges in the existing pediatric design such as lack of family space, playtime, mental health needs and overstimulation. ​

In addition to the private rooms and updated staff spaces, the new design features a warm, inviting reception space with an adjacent family lounge, enriched with thoughtfully integrated artwork, graphics, and lighting. ​

Boston Childrens Hospital Before Nursestation Image
The previous nurse station on the Boston Children's neurology floor fell short in space, technology integration, sight lines, and quality of finishes, limiting its ability to support staff needs.
Boston Childrens Hospital Neurology Renovation
The new nurse station offers clear visibility and approachability. Adjacent, a quiet off-stage workspace, equipped with updated technology supports staff collaboration. Unique niches were built into each nurse station to display patient artwork and mementos at the site-line of the younger pediatric population.

The Emergency Center project at Texas Children's Hospital is the first phase of a multi-phase renovation focused on increasing the capacity and functionality of the Emergency Center to better serve the growing and varying needs of the pediatric population. This phase provided a modernized exam room environment, upgraded team stations and a specialized behavioral health pod, all done while keeping the Emergency Center operational. 

A main objective of this phase of the renovation was adding behavioral health specific rooms, which did not exist in the previous Emergency Center. In the past, children with mental health needs had to have a staff sitter present at all times with the door of the room always open since there were no behavioral health safety measures within the rooms.  

Additionally, all the team stations in the renovated emergency center were designed to be more collaborative for staff members, compared to the cramped and outdated stations in the previous emergency center. The new ones also include wayfinding elements in the ceiling as well as playful graphics at the front as distraction elements for kids. ​

Texas Childrens Emergency Center Renovation Before
The previous team stations were crowded and lacked areas for clinicians to chart or have conversations. Much of the equipment and technology was also too easily accessible and readable for anyone nearby.
Texas Childrens Emergency Center 2
The new team stations reflect the wayfinding color elements within the lighting fixture, flooring and accent wall. A graphic display at the front provides interest and distraction for kids while a parent may be talking with a clinician. There is ample space for private charting and discussions, as well as better storage for technology and administrative materials.

This year marked the 16th year of Healthcare Design's Remodel/Renovation competition, which captures the transformation of a single space. CannonDesign has received recognition in this program in previous years:

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