This once-crumbling, historic psychiatric facility was replaced by a $78 million, state-of-the-art hospital for which HOPKINS designed a 12,000 square foot central food preparation kitchen and retherm kitchens for each residential unit. Now patients can have breakfast and dinner in their “homes” and lunch “at work” in the treatment mall.
Hurricane Katrina gave this hospital the reason and the resources to upgrade its thirty-five-year-old, 18,000 square foot dietary department to bring it up and into the twenty-first century. Fortunately, because new equipment could be integrated into the existing utility infrastructure, the fast-track schedule was met to the satisfaction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Because poor diet and obesity are causal factors for various forms of cancer and many other diseases, when the National Cancer Institute, was given an opportunity to plan its first in-house cafeteria, they took the project very seriously. HOPKINS was brought in to perform an extensive planning effort. NCI wanted to provide an environment in which visitors and staff could make optimal food choices, model behaviors that reduce risk for cancer and other diseases, and increase wellness. The healthy choice was to be the easy choice.
A new staff café within walking distance of a plethora of foodie options for employees of Discovery Communications’ world headquarters gives them a home of their own. DCI's goal in commissioning this project was to create an aesthetically pleasing cafeteria that reflects positively on the Discovery brand while satisfying their employees’ need for a place to grab a quick breakfast or lunch. Mission accomplished.