Penn Medicine Princeton Cancer Center, Plainsboro, New Jersey: First Look

The comprehensive cancer care center, designed by Shepley Bulfinch, prioritizes environmental stewardship by targeting LEED Gold certification and incorporating energy recovery technology and sustainable building materials.

Published: November 13, 2025Posted by Anne DiNardo

Courtesy of Shepley Bulfinch

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Penn Medicine Princeton Cancer Center, Plainsboro, New Jersey

The Penn Medicine Princeton Cancer Center in Plainsboro, N.J., designed by Shepley Bulfinch (Boston), will unite comprehensive cancer care—including radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone, and integrative therapies—with advanced diagnostic imaging in a patient-centered, adaptable facility.

Expected to be completed in May 2028, the facility on the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center campus comprises more than 40 exam rooms, 30 infusion chairs, and two linear accelerators to deliver radiation therapy. A completed 6-story parking garage and planned imaging center are also part of the project, which represents the largest expansion of the Penn Medicine since the new hospital opened in 2012.

Sustainable design on display at Penn Medicine Princeton Cancer Center

Sustainability drives the cancer center project, the system’s efforts to become the nation’s most environmentally friendly healthcare organization and reducing operational carbon emissions by 50 percent across all campuses by 2030, with full net-zero operational carbon emissions targeted by 2042.

The 150,000-square-foot cancer center, designed to target LEED Gold, features green roofs across all canopies and oncology vaults to minimize the heat island effect and rain gardens to capture excess water run-off. Energy recovery systems provide 100 percent outside air, and renewable energy purchasing supplies 50 percent of annual demand.

The prefabricated, high-performance envelope utilizes triple-glazed, bird-safe glass and terra cotta. Primarily made from clay, the embodied energy required to fire the material—which literally translates into “baked earth”—is lower than metals, glass, or concrete. Terra cotta is also extremely resistant to weather, fire, and UV damage.

Furthermore, the new building is being delivered through an integrated project delivery method, which is structured to optimize project results, reduce waste, and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction.