by ArchitectureWeek

Construction is nearing completion for the Center for Cancer Treatment and Prevention at Stanford University in California. The building, located in the heart of earthquake territory, will contain seven linear accelerators to deliver therapeutic radiation to its clinics.

Guarding against both earthquakes and radiation has posed significant challenges for the general contractors, Rudolph and Sletten, Inc. They had to develop novel shoring systems and strict safety measures for workers handling leaded building materials.

The 225,000-square-foot (21,000-square-meter) ambulatory care facility, designed by Bobrow/ Thomas and Associates of Los Angeles, is devoted entirely to cancer care. It houses radiation oncology functions in the basement, clinical and administrative areas on the ground and middle floors, and surgery-related functions on the top floor.

A bridge and a tunnel connect the new building to two existing hospitals, which needed to remain operational during construction. Their proximity posed additional construction challenges. Congestion at the site made deliveries of materials and the staging of cranes and other equipment difficult, requiring special coordination and nighttime construction shifts.

Adjacency to one of the hospitals required a special shoring system to resist the forces of the perimeter soil and the entire force of the older building in the event of an earthquake. The shoring also enabled the construction of new foundations without disrupting existing utility systems.   >>>

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The Center for Cancer Treatment and Prevention under construction at Stanford University, California. Photo: Bob Swanson, Swanson Images The center is scheduled to open in early 2004. Image: Bobrow/Thomas and Associates   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.