The David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at MSK is a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer clinic located in New York City. Providing a comfortable and healthy building or patients was a priority and a driving factor for the sustainability concepts implemented; from the facade design to building resiliency and material selection.Â
The project’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by the pursuit and incorporation of a number of integrated, high-performance environmental design strategies with reductions in energy and water consumption, high-performance façades, and selection of healthy materials. Atelier Ten focused on the building’s façade, which provides a visually and thermally comfortable environment for patients, along with vast views over the Manhattan skyline. Vertical fins help modulate the available daylight and heat gain in the space. Four different fin depths and three different window sizes are deployed in various combinations based on the programmatic needs and available solar radiation. This approach creates a dynamic and responsive skin that meets the needs of the occupants and the program. Atelier Ten’s careful selection of materials was also critical in creating a healthy indoor environment for the Ambulatory Care Center. The materials selected include environmentally preferable furniture and medical furnishings made from sustainably sourced materials with lower noxious chemical content, which will reduce VOC emissions, PBTs and mercury.
