Spotlight On: Studio Q Architecture
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Studio Q Architecture’s vision of the HLRCC exterior expansion.Since 2018, the team at Studio Q Architecture has been working closely with us at The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center. Their most recent project is a comprehensive refresh that will transform the HLRCC to better reflect its mission of healing, hope, and community.
A typical “refresh” usually involves surface changes like changing paint and furnishings, but when Leever asked Studio Q to help refine their ability to serve their patients, the project quickly grew into a larger vision.
“We took the opportunity that was really just a refresh and dug into how much the facility reflects the mission,” explained Ron Quicquaro, Principal Architect, AIA, LEED AP. “Obviously, the cancer care and staff are exceptional—they are some of the best in the region, if not the world. We wanted the facility to reflect that.”
That vision began outside the building, with a new modern steel canopy, raised crosswalk, and renovated healing gardens. “We really studied the patient’s experience from the moment they drive onto the campus,” said Ron. “The whole entrance sequence was designed to reinforce the mission. Creating a situation where patients feel like they have finally arrived is very important because it changes your mindset. There is a whole psychology that happens: you feel like, ‘Ahh, I am here, I am being taken care of.’”
Studio Q’s design was inspired in part by HLRCC’s flame logo. “We studied the symbolism in the logo—flame, healing, motion—and started to develop an aesthetic that was threaded throughout every decision,” said Ron. Ryan Ducki, AIA, a Project Architect at Studio Q, emphasized the importance of natural light and openness. “In the existing building, your arrival stops when you get inside the door. You’re immediately in a corridor. There is no sense of arrival once you walk through that door,” he said. “Opening up exterior walls with all glass—that visual connection is so important. Each of these details is important. For it to be successful, we have to look at every single space, how they feel, what they do with the space and the environment.”
Attention to detail even extended to lighting design. “Every light has a different level of warmth,” Ron explained. “Ryan studies all these light sources to determine which is the most natural—which mimics natural daylight to make you feel better.”
The redesign also introduces new spaces for comfort and reflection. What is now the Meditation Center will become a Serenity Suite, offering a space for visitors to pray, contemplate, discuss, accept, or just sit with a loved one. The new suite will be equipped with sound and projection technology that will mimic different environments. “You’ll actually feel like you are in a different place—in the woods with birds chirping or at the beach with gently cresting waves,” Ron explained. “There are a few environments that will be available.”
Through thoughtful details and patient-centered design, Studio Q has helped HLRCC transform its physical environment into one that fully mirrors the care provided within. “Leever drove the whole vision,” said Ron. “Our role was to take that vision and push it further—to ensure every element reinforces their mission of healing, hope, and community.