Case Study: Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center

A full floor of the facility is dedicated to research and clinical trials. Strategically located on the second level, these laboratories are visible from the hospital’s central atrium through glass walls (photos), making the science both transparent and inspiring. Patients and families arriving in the lobby can see discovery in action—reinforcing the hospital’s mission to deliver tomorrow’s treatments alongside today’s care.

A glass-enclosed bridge links the new center directly to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. This connection allows patients, staff and specimens to move seamlessly across the academic medical campus and supports the continuous ecosystem needed to bring discoveries from bench to bedside.

Delivering such a complex facility required expertise across multiple disciplines. HOK’s team brought together specialists in architecture, lab planning, experience design, facades, interiors, landscape architecture and planning. This integrated approach ensured that the hospital functions as both a place of healing and research hub, with every element—from the facade to the landscape—contributing to the patient and research experience.

More than half the population of New Brunswick identifies as Hispanic and the city's poverty rate exceeds the national average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This makes Morris Cancer Center well-positioned to expand clinical trial participation among communities historically underrepresented in research. By combining accessible design with community outreach, the center strengthens both the inclusivity and the impact of its research.