The project team renovated part of the roof area above the Children’s National Medical Center’s clinical laboratory in Washington, D.C., to create a healing garden where young patients can safely enjoy being outside. The scope included structural steel modifications to the existing roof structure to support the additional weight of a green roof system. The upgrades required more than 3,000 worker-hours of steel welding and 25 tons of steel materials. To minimize disruption for patients, staff and visitors, crews installed temporary exhaust fans, a welding smoke evacuation system and carbon filters over the adjacent air-handler intakes.

The 7,200-sq-ft space consists of serpentine and concrete planter walls; a drainable overlay system on patient-safe walkways; built-in benches; a custom fountain; and a glass wall system overlooking the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument.

The project was made possible, in part, by donations of design and construction services from Perkins + Will and DAVIS Construction, respectively. The team implemented an integrated project delivery approach.

The project was named in honor of the first ladies of the U.S. and included design aspects of the White House garden.

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