The Patient Education Center is a part of the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital.  This center is nestled between a new parking structure and the existing main entry of the hospital.  It was a challenge to fit the program into the space provided and to also give the space an airy, open, welcoming feeling.

 The PEC is a resource for the patients of the Veterans' Hospital and includes a lounge with information kiosks and literature on healthy living as well as three classrooms.  The classrooms are fitted with teleconference technology so that more people may access the classes given.  The larger classroom includes a demonstration kitchen to teach healthy eating habits.  The PEC is a way for the hospital to provide preventative care for its patients, an item that is becoming prevalent in the health care system today.

The PEC is meant to act as a new entry to the VA and to be an updated face for the hospital.  The glass concourse is to aid in the hospital's transparency and to help draw patients and families into the space.

A major consideration for the PEC was how to let daylight into the space.  Since the PEC was to be placed in a compact area between two other buildings, the design included a pushing and pulling of the roof to create clerestories.

The clerestory windows bring daylight into the concourse, resource lounge, and classrooms.  This daylight creates an energizing environment for patients to learn within.