The University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS; Kansas City, Kan.) is an academic medical center known for advanced treatments and medical research and education. As part of its commitment to leadership in healthcare, TUKHS expanded its radiation/oncology cancer facility with a new proton therapy center in Kansas City, Kan.

Located at the University of Kansas Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, the multimillion-dollar facility serves approximately 224 patients annually and offers proton therapy and expanded pediatric cancer services.

Due to constraints of a small building site adjacent to the existing facility, the project required creative design. The project team, including design architect Hoefer Welker (Kansas City, Kan.) and architect of record Stantec (Washington D.C.) chose to design the new proton therapy center on the available site while creating an addition on top of the existing radiation oncology pavilion.

That pavilion, along with other adjacent facilities undergoing renovations, needed to remain open and operational during construction, calling for careful planning. This included phased interior renovation of the existing facility, implementation of interim life safety routes, and providing valet parking because of site constraints.

The new center was designed to accommodate a future proton vault and support space with minimal disruption to clinical operations. This included the extraction of subsurface stone and space for future infrastructure. Additionally, one wall of the existing proton vault concrete wall is designed to be shared with the future proton vault.

Throughout the design process, the project team coordinated with physicians and other medical team members to determine the needs of patients, families, and caregivers.

The facility houses patient reception and check-in spaces, a lobby, family waiting room, consulting and counseling spaces, as well as flex space for future expansion.

Pre-treatment spaces include six changing rooms, gowned waiting rooms, an anesthesia prep and recovery suite, and two exam rooms. The treatment room features a concrete bunker housing the cyclotron, proton therapy equipment, and gantry.

Project details for The University of Kansas Health System Proton Therapy Center:

Facility name: The University of Kansas Health System Proton Therapy Center

Location: Kansas City, Kan.

Completion date: May 2022

Owner: The University of Kansas Health System

Total building area: 38,200 sq. ft.

Total construction cost: Confidential

Cost/sq. ft.: Confidential

Architecture firm: Hoefer Welker (design architect), Stantec (architect of record)

Interior design: Hoefer Welker

General contractor: McCownGordon Construction

Engineering: SBR+A (MEP, information technology/audiovisual), Goldstein Milano (structural), Olsson (civil)