Medical Office Building

In recognizing the healing benefits of nature based biophilic design, this facility was designed
to make a unique medical facility for the patients of this informed client. Biophilic design principals and natural daylighting techniques were integrated to create a pleasurable and less stressful experience for both patients and the staff. From front door to treatment room, a comforting ambience is created through calming colors and rich materials curated from nature. The entire facility is designed to provide a healing ambience which promotes calm and reassurance for both the patient and the staff.

Design Challenge

The project goal was to provide a healing, therapeutic environment for patient care. This patient centered design approach addressed providing an environment of healing and sensitivity for patients as well as thermal comfort, clean air and privacy. The environment of the building strives to offset patient discomfort and alleviate anxiety. The design team in cooperation with the health professionals in this facility focused on providing the following goals for this design: Beauty, Order, Awareness of Nature, Color, Natural Lighting, Noise Reduction, Touch and Connection, Communication, Socialization, and Comfort. This nature-based health care design created a sophisticated and relaxing environment for both the patient and the health care staff. In the reception area, patients are no longer faced with traditional sliding windows separating them from the staff but are greeted instead with a wood framed opening surrounded by warm fabric accents enhancing communication between patients and staff. The reception area is designed with mahogany wood accents and ceilings with stacked stone details. The walls are opened with large areas of glazing that provide natural light to the waiting area, as well as connecting the patient to nature and views outside the facility. Instead of a traditional dropped ceiling with florescent fixtures, the ceiling in the waiting room is vaulted with rich toned wood and clerestory windows. The patient area is designed with facing nurse’s stations, once again to promote communication between staff and patients. The entire facility is designed to provide a tranquil ambience which promotes healing and reassurance.

Physical Context

The exterior architectural elements include unique details and the massing of the building reflects the interior spaces of the building. The entry is emphasized by the use of strong color on a gateway form. A signature white metal mast provides a contrasting vertical element. The stacked stone facade with punched window openings and vaulted roofline reflect the reception and business office components of the office, while the grey stucco with banded windows reveals the location and arrangement of the treatment rooms. The vaulted ceiling and clear-story windows are continued into this space, creating a light filled work environment. The facility is designed with ten patient rooms and an infusion center as well as offices for the principle physicians. Each architecture component clearly relates back to the function of the housed space and is created as a dynamic composition of form, material and color. The building suggests that it grows from the earth with the skirt of large format stone block that connects it to the ground plane. Each form of the building is distinguished by a change in hue that is selected from a natural palette. We believe that our ongoing dedication to our client was paramount to their success: designing environments that promote healing and well-being with their patients in mind.