Northside Hospital Family Lounge
Rooted in Nature, Designed for Healing
The idea of creating a dedicated family lounge for the parents and families of babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Northside Hospital Atlanta began in 1998, following the opening of its groundbreaking Women’s Center — recognized nationally as a fifth-generation design in maternity care. For over 25 years, this vision waited for the right time and place to grow.
A real opportunity finally emerged in 2019, when the concept evolved to use the rooftop of the original Women’s Center. A lightweight structure — allowed by modern building codes — would let this dream finally take physical form. Though put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was revived in 2024 with renewed purpose, when a family personally touched by the NICU experience stepped forward to support the lounge’s creation philanthropically.
Their generosity, combined with decades of intention, led to a space that symbolizes life, connection, and healing — culminating in the central design motif.
At the heart of the family lounge stands the Tree of Life, an architectural sculpture rising from the floor and fanning out into a canopy that evokes shelter, stability, and growth — rooted symbolically in the building below, where the Women's Center began. The tree is the loci of the arc of the original Women’s Center project concept and so a very fitting addition.
The Northside Hospital Family Lounge is so much more than a waiting room. It is the physical manifestation of a decades-long dream, realized through compassion, vision, and design excellence. Every curve, texture, and light fixture was chosen with intention — to comfort, to inspire, and to remind families that even in times of uncertainty, they are not alone.
On a Personal Note
This project has been an emotional part of me for my tenure at hrd. The design of the women’s center in the 90’s launched my career. It was the foundation that Northside and hrd saw in my ability to be a good architect and designer which led to many more opportunities. The staff that I collaborated so closely with on the original became part of my life and many of them are still there–and a huge part of this finally coming to life. It’s a great achievement to see it realized!
