When Orlando Health set out to expand cancer care in Central Florida, they had two requests: update their campus master plan and design a new, state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility that would be both highly functional and deeply human. The challenge was to introduce a 220,000- square-foot addition into a 60-year-old campus of boxy, beige-brick buildings without losing sight of the real purpose: creating a life-affirming place for patients, families, and caregivers.
To meet this challenge, the RLF design team worked closely with Orlando Health leadership and staff. Together, they visited the MD Anderson Cancer Center campus in Houston to study its spaces, learn from its operational model, and take inspiration from the world-renowned brand’s identity. These insights directly informed the Orlando project, shaping design cues that would connect the new facility to the MD Anderson ethos while tailoring it to the needs of the Central Florida community.
Stitching Together a Campus
RLF’s master plan extended beyond a single building. It envisioned how the cancer center would connect with the existing hospital, the city beyond, and future growth. A central circulation spine was extended northward, tying inpatient, outpatient, and proposed facilities into one coherent system. Parking and entry sequences were reimagined to create a welcoming and logical front door for patients and their families. The plan even anticipated a future inpatient tower and central atrium, providing flexible infrastructure for a hospital that is always in motion.
The cancer center itself rises as a 10-story tower of sweeping brick and glass, grounded by a two-story base of earth and water. The form is bold and monumental, echoing the campus’s architectural language, but it also introduces transparency, lightness, and views that break away from the old boxy aesthetic.
Inside, every decision was shaped by the patient experience. Ambulatory treatment spaces flow seamlessly from the main hospital. At the same time, a central atrium organizes circulation and connects waiting areas across three levels, making wayfinding clear and intuitive for patients and families. Natural light pours in through dual atriums, reducing stress and orienting visitors throughout their journey. A chapel bridges the atriums, offering a spiritual heart to the building. Landscaped terraces step down toward the city, softening the mass, concealing radiation treatment vaults, and symbolically opening the hospital to its community.
Beyond bricks and glass, the design elevates the softer side of care. On the third-floor rooftop, a Healing Garden and Meditative Labyrinth invite patients, families, and staff into a space of reflection and renewal. Quiet alcoves allow one-on-one conversations. Fountains and a dry creek bed offer soothing sounds. The labyrinth, modeled after the medieval design at Chartres Cathedral, provides a physical and spiritual journey, helping patients navigate crisis with resilience and hope.
Upstairs, 150 private inpatient rooms provide families with space to heal together, featuring separate zones for patients, loved ones, and designated staff. Decentralized nursing stations enable care teams to work more closely and respond more quickly. A patient and family resource center, along with a restorative snack area, brings small but meaningful comforts to difficult days.
The impact of these design decisions has been felt since day one. As Dr. Clarence H. Brown III, former President of MD Anderson Cancer Center Orlando wrote:
“Our staff, patients, and their families and friends continually comment on what an extraordinarily beautiful and functional facility it is. Patient satisfaction with their physical surroundings and care is at an all-time high. Our goal of providing a healing environment for those we serve has truly been realized.”
Innovation That Endures
Nearly a decade later, RLF returned to the campus to design a proton therapy addition, a 15,780-square-foot facility that became the first of its kind in Central Florida. The design blends seamlessly into the existing campus, but its glowing glass “petal walls” mark something extraordinary inside: a three-story, 42-foot vault housing a 14-ton proton beam armature, enabling clinicians to deliver life-saving treatment with unprecedented precision.
Recognition and Impact
Over the years, the center has treated more than 80,000 patients and earned national recognition, including a spot on Soliant Health’s “Most Beautiful Hospitals” list and multiple design awards from Modern Healthcare, Healthcare Design, and the AIA.
The MD Anderson Cancer Center – Orlando (now the Charles Lewis Pavilion at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute) embodies RLF’s guiding belief: creating exceptional places for extraordinary people. For patients on their most difficult journeys, for families in need of comfort, and for the clinicians who dedicate their lives to healing, this facility is more than architecture; it is a promise kept to the Orlando community.