When the child life team at HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s hospital in Denver evaluated its patient amenities, they identified a distinct gap in their offerings for a specific demographic: teenagers. “The hospital was geared toward infants and little children,” says Cathy Sandoval, executive director and CEO at Rocky Mountain Children’s Health Foundation (RMCHF; Arvada, Colorado), which supports special projects at the facility. While the hospital featured toddler-appropriate activities, waiting areas, and cartoon animal décor, Sandoval notes that “there wasn’t anything to meet the needs of a teenager.”
Although a teen lounge had long been a dream project for the hospital’s child life team, a lack of available square footage stalled the initiative. That changed when a nonprofit organization vacated a space on the third floor. Seeing an opportunity, RMCHF began meeting with donors to share its vision. Shea’s Village, a Cheyenne, Wyo.-based nonprofit supporting families battling critical childhood illnesses, stepped in to fund the project.
Renovations kicked off in spring 2024. The hospital worked with architecture firm MCG Architecture (Denver) and interior design firm Re.dzine (Denver) to deliver the 759-square-foot teen lounge, which opened in March.
Designing amenity spaces for teen patients
Before the renovation, the existing space lacked warmth, character, or a sense of comfort, says Heidi Mendoza, founder of Re.dzine. “The design intent was to reimagine it as a place within the hospital that didn’t feel clinical,” she says.
To ensure the project successfully met the needs of adolescents, the child life team gathered direct input from patients. The resulting wish list included a space for movie nights, gaming stations, a community table, and a dedicated Zen area for quiet time. The project team then balanced these desires with the hospital’s safety standards. For example, the lounge required a check-in desk to accommodate an adult volunteer, who needed to always be present in the room, alongside furnishings and materials that met the hospital’s infection control standards.
To address these operational needs, the volunteer desk is strategically located at the front of the teen lounge along the side wall, seamlessly blending in with its blue hue and curved frame. Healthcare-rated furniture, natural oak luxury vinyl tile flooring, and firm seating with plush pillows further support the welcoming environment.
Building flexibility, autonomy into healthcare spaces
To foster social connection and independence, the project team outfitted the multiuse lounge with modular seating, a pull-down wall screen for movies, and a kitchenette with snacks.
Mendoza adds that it was important that the environment allowed for unobtrusive supervision of the teens. To ensure clear sightlines, tall cabinets near the kitchen space were replaced with a peninsula that demarcates the area without obscuring it. Other key elements include two desks for focused gaming and curved banquette seating for individuals or groups along the window wall. “Everything has zones, but you can move things around, so there’s flexibility and a sense of autonomy,” she says.
To further support a non-institutional feel, Mendoza applied biophilic design principles. Unable to incorporate live plants due to sanitation restrictions, she translated the qualities of green fields and open skies into the built environment. A color palette of muted blues and greens in the fabrics and surfaces pairs with organic, curved forms in the furnishings and hardware. These elements work together to limit overstimulation, making the space more comfortable for neurodivergent patients, Mendoza says.
Family and patient feedback on the new lounge has been positive since opening, Sandoval says, providing a much-needed haven for adolescents navigating care at the hospital. Adds Mendoza, “This age group is often overlooked. They’ve outgrown the children’s spaces,” she says. “They need independence and also supervision, but they don’t want to feel like they’re being supervised.”
Carrie Whitney is a freelance writer based in Atlanta and can be reached at [email protected].
HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children’s teen lounge project details
Location: Denver
Completion date: March 2026
Total area: 759 sq. ft.
Total renovation cost: Not disclosed
Architect: MCG Architecture
Interior design: Re.dzine
General contractor: McCormic Construction
Custom millwork and furniture design: Re.dzine
