Students unveil Ronald McDonald room designs at St. Joseph Center

Funds have been raised to build a new [Ronald McDonald Family Room] (http://www.rmhc.org/ronald-mcdonald-family-room) , where families with children undergoing medical treatment can stay, at [St. Joseph Regional Health Center] (http://www.st-joseph.org/sjrhc) in Bryan. The rooms will include ideas from design proposals that Texas A&M [environmental design] (http://dept.arch.tamu.edu/undergraduate/) students created in the spring 2015 semester.

In a Ronald McDonald room, families have a place to rest and regroup in a homelike setting inside the hospital, just a few steps away from their hospitalized child.

In studios led by Julie Rogers, senior lecturer of architecture and Chengde Wu, a Ph.D. architecture student, 35 students in 9 groups created designs for the room. Students also received guidance from Valerian Miranda, associate professor of architecture.

“It will have 2 sleeping rooms and, just as the students designed, it will include a den area with a television, a full kitchen, a childrens’ play area, and a small, stackable washer/dryer,” said Katy Scott, [Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas] (http://rmhc-ctx.org) ’ director of community engagement in the Brazos Valley.

Students presented their designs April 3, 2015 in the Langford B Exhibit Hall to a crowd of representatives from RMHC and St. Joseph.

Before they began their designs, students familiarized themselves with the services Ronald McDonald rooms provide by meeting with people who had previously stayed in them.

“It was a privilege to work with these families,” said Cole Roberts, one of the student designers. “It was touching to see their appreciation for the work we were doing.”

The project gave students new insights into how design can help families with medical emergencies.

“Designing a family room for Ronald McDonald House Charities was extraordinary not only because of the practical experience, but also because it provided an opportunity to see how we can make a difference using architecture,” said Steven Moehring .

“It was rewarding to be a part of a real project that has the ability to impact people during their stay in the hospital,” said Rebekah Vinal.