In Midland, Mich., situated on a 225-acre wooded campus, the MyMichigan Health Pardee Cancer Wellness Center is a fully integrated center for oncology care.
Opened in January 2024, the project started as two aging medical office buildings before evolving into a 115,000-square-foot center that brings together medical, surgical, and radiation oncology services with specialty care and patient-focused amenities.
MyMichigan Health’s vision was clear: redefine the patient experience by taking services that had long been dispersed and consolidating them in a unified and comprehensive destination for care. Working with Hord Coplan Macht (HCM; Baltimore), the project team brought this vision to life with a bold act of reuse.
Consolidating cancer care services on MyMichigan Health campus
For MyMichigan Health, the decision to merge its cancer services into a single facility grew from its mission to simplify care for rural patients who often travel hours to receive treatment.
Previously, cancer services were spread across five on- and off-campus sites, requiring patients to navigate multiple facilities and conflicting schedules. A “one-stop shop” approach would reduce logistical stress, improve collaboration among physicians, and provide patients with access to comprehensive care under one roof.
Rather than starting from scratch and building new, MyMichigan collaborated with HCM to evaluate its existing outpatient facilities to determine which sites could be revamped to meet modern needs while creating a sustainable, adaptive reuse facility.
Their assessment revealed two aging medical office buildings, Towsley 2 and 3, located adjacent to the MyMichigan Medical Center Midland. These structures had served the community for nearly 40 years and were now past their prime and ready for reinvention.
Furthermore, the buildings were adjacent to an existing radiation oncology clinic, which would enable the project to connect to existing linear accelerator vaults, saving the cost of rebuilding a complex structure at a new location.
Creating a cohesive facility design for cancer center
To maintain a cohesive aesthetic across the campus, the design team drew inspiration from the adjacent cardiovascular building by incorporating many of the same materials in both the interior and exterior, including stone, brick, and storefront and metal panels.
This continuity created what the client described as “a string of pearls” within the campus fabric, while also distinguishing the new space from the older red-brick buildings that define much of the site’s history.
Beyond the visual harmony, the reuse approach streamlined the project’s delivery. Design work began with the client in early 2020 and was completed by October 2021. Construction took place from spring 2022 through early 2024.
With utilities already in place and the existing structures providing a strong foundation, the team was able to simplify site work and limit new construction to only modest building additions on the ends of the existing buildings to seamlessly link the two.
This approach resulted in a significantly quicker turnaround than starting from the ground up.
Challenges to turning MOBs into new cancer center
Working with decades-old medical office buildings required a creative approach to address ceiling height limitations, infrastructure upgrade needs, and mechanical distribution challenges while maximizing access to natural light throughout.
While preserving the structural frames of Towsley 2 and 3, the team completely reimagined the interior through the strategic integration of flexible patient and family spaces, including seating alcoves, gathering areas, and support spaces that accommodate both private and social interactions.
Several challenges arose over the course of the project. Complicating the reuse strategy, firstly, was the low 11-foot-4-inch floor-to-floor height, which prompted the team to integrate HVAC, mechanical systems, and other utilities without compromising ceiling space or overall comfort.
Multiple small shafts were spread across the floor to reduce duct runs and overall size. These improvements enabled higher ceilings of 9 foot in key public areas, mitigating structural limitations and creating a sense of openness.
During construction, demolition revealed unexpected discrepancies in the existing structural drawings. Portions of load-bearing walls had been demolished during previous renovations, and the existing structure was different sizes in certain places as compared to the record drawings.
These unforeseen conditions required quick adjustments, including redesigning portions of the structural system. The design team recalculated the new structure while adding support to reinforce specific columns as needed.
To unify the buildings architecturally, the original connecting elements between the buildings were removed and replaced with two multistory connectors at the ends of each building.
These elements completed a continuous, covered route from the hospital to the cancer center and parking garage, delivering a protected and welcoming passage during Michigan’s harsh winters.
Pardee Cancer Wellness Center delivers holistic care
Across four levels, the building is organized to coordinate seamless patient care and supportive services. Level 1 houses nutrition counseling, rehabilitation services, and radiation oncology.
Level 2 focuses on infusion services, medical oncology, and hematology, while Level 3 accommodates surgical oncology, breast health services, and the U-M Breast Reconstruction Clinic. Finally, dermatologic oncology and radiation oncology are housed on Level 4.
To support a multidisciplinary care approach, shared consultation spaces and adjacent team workrooms on each floor enable specialists to collaborate efficiently, allowing treatment plans to be developed in a single day.
In addition, the facility houses patient and family counseling spaces, a rehabilitation gym, nutrition counseling, cancer boutique, and financial assistance services, all of which emphasize holistic care.
At the heart of the building, the three-story atrium opens onto a landscaped courtyard, bringing natural light and garden views into nearly every patient-facing space.
Nods to the surrounding campus forest are brought indoors to reinforce the center’s mission to treat both mind and body: Branch-patterned glass on doors, windows, and room dividers throughout the center filters sunlight, botanical flooring motifs guide circulation, and wood finishes echo walking trails.
The project’s design choices are rooted in a patient-centered philosophy. For example, recognizing that patients may spend hours on-site in a given day, moving between treatments, consultations, and supportive therapies, the facility offers a range of environments from large communal spaces like the atrium to intimate seating nooks tucked along circulation paths, many with fireplaces or garden views.
These spaces enable patients and their families to select the type of environment they require at any given moment, whether social, private, contemplative, or restorative.
Healthcare project savings with adaptive reuse
By unifying aging buildings into a single, integrated facility, the project embraces an effective adaptive reuse strategy, balancing financial planning and a patient-centered environment that supports healing at every turn.
In doing so, the team worked within the existing structure, saving $7 million in site, utility, and structural costs, and another $5 million by retaining the existing radiation oncology vaults, ultimately cutting $12 million from the project while achieving the functionality and appearance of new construction. z
Serena Peters, AIA, NCARB, EDAC, LEED AP BD+C, is an associate principal at Hord Coplan Macht (Baltimore) and can be reached at [email protected].
For a Sector Spotlight on Cancer Care Facilities, read here.
