Background
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is located in Peoria, Illinois. Four years after the Children’s Hospital of Illinois opened its new building, the Lynn & Jerry Flaherty Family Respite Garden celebrated its opening with a blessing and ribbon cutting. With a donation of $500,000 from Lynn and Jerry Flaherty to fund the project (a gift also matched by Caterpillar), the space provides a peaceful area for families of children receiving care at Children’s Hospital.
The Healing Garden
Running the length of the building, the garden features seating areas covered by canopies, trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, a water feature and a rock “stream”. Some of the trees and overhead shade structures are visible from nearby Interstate 74.
The concept for the project was the woods and the meadow. The seating area represents the “woods” and the rest of the garden is the “meadow”. The garden walls are made of lightweight materials molded directly from natural garden stone. The existing roof slopes for proper drainage. A pedestal system supports the walking surface to allow for a level walk, so the tables and chairs are not on a sloping surface.
Before
After
Our Work
Walker provided a peer review of the rooftop garden detailing, which was prepared by the architect on behalf of the medical center.
The Importance of a Peer Review
The peer review of the project deliverable is a critical quality control step toward a successful outcome. A peer review can catch errors and/or omissions before they become serious problems. If done at intervals during the course of the project, the peer review can go a long way to keeping the project within budget and avoiding costly surprises. Also a peer reviewer might be able to provide additional advice that could be useful in improving the work. For more information about this crucial service contact us today!