Drawing on industry research indicating that good design fosters good health as well as stress relief and a heightened quality of patient care, principals Eric Swanson and Louis Meilink teamed up with Polshek Partnership Architects to tackle the design of a 330,000-square-foot, 15-floor clinical facility for Weill Cornell Medical College. Large windows offer contemplative skyline views. State-of-the-art technology mixes with contemporary and mid-century furnishings in diagnostic centers, staff offices, and intimate seating alcoves. And a suspended installation of glass fragments brings iridescence to a two-story atrium. Thoughout, wood, travertine, and Cor-Ten steel combine with water elements to create a tranquillity more commonly found in a spa than in a medical setting.

PROJECT American Red Cross in Greater New York.

STANDOUT Extending through the center of each office floor, a wide corridor encompasses everything from pantries to conference rooms.

PROJECT Hackensack University Medical Center pediatric operating suite, New Jersey.

STANDOUT Butterfly images on the nurses' station and a sea-life mural painted on an operating room's ceiling harness the healing powers of nature.

PROJECT Intermountain Medical Center Huntsman Cancer Center, Murray, Utah.

STANDOUT Maple screens and paneling, a glass-encased fireplace, and a sandstone healing garden create a comforting environment.

See photos of all the projects in the December 2007 issue of Interior Design. Photo by Jeff Goldberg / Esto.