Mark Balasi, AIA Vice President Phillips Swager Associates Naperville, Illinois

Designing and constructing any building project on a fast-track schedule is a challenge. Doing the same for a hospital addition to house sophisticated radiation treatment equipment from start to finish in just 12 months requires a dedicated team approach with a plan of action that builds consensus and provides the basis to make informed decisions.

The new Mary Brown Stephenson Radiation Oncology Center at Midwestern Regional Medical Center near Chicago is the result of just such a team effort. The owners and their consultants undertook the challenge to take the project from space program to reality in one year by planning the work and then working the plan to manage expectations and identify opportunities. In the process the team designed a facility that focuses on the patients' emotional as well as medical needs and creates an environment of comfort and hope for those receiving state-of-the-art cancer care.

Beginning with a predesign process that explored a wide range of issues and turned the team's focus into goals, a big picture and its feasibility were established. With clear goals, and a detailed schedule of anticipated activities, the team was equipped to manage the process and bring it to a successful conclusion.

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