2020 Resilience Showcase: The David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care

For Memorial Sloan Kettering’s premier cancer center, we adopted a multilayered approach to resilience, maximizing flood protection while creating an environment that nurtures patients’ physical and emotional well-being.

Since the building lies within New York City’s flood zone, we waterproofed the foundation walls, galvanized all steel below the flood line and installed operable barriers that can be raised in the event of a flood.

To safeguard critical operations, we moved all mechanical and medical systems – including massive linear-accelerator vaults – to the upper floors, supported by a series of intricate steel trusses. So instead of waiting in a windowless basement, patients relax in spacious, sunlit rooms, enjoying panoramic views of the East River. We designed the structure for extremely heavy loads to support current and future equipment.