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Architects: archimania
- Area: 16327 m²
- Year: 2009
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Photographs:Jeffrey Jacobs Photography
Text description provided by the architects. To create a fresh image for a nearly 40-year-old orthopedic practice upon its move into a renovated, reclaimed 1991 insurance office building prototype, all within a budget of less than $100 per square foot.
Site + Context
Located in a busy commercial district, a vacant 19-year-old State Farm Insurance office building was reclaimed by an established orthopedic group seeking to redefine its practice, to secure building ownership, to create a more efficient and open work environment, and to provide a covered drop-off area, as well as ample parking, for its patients.
Program
The program is comprised four components: Patient Waiting and Public Areas; a Clinic; Doctors’ Offices; and a Physical Therapy Suite. The design of each component is organized around the existing building shell attributes, which were retained during demolition. The existing State Farm parking garage was reassembled as a new waiting room with a private, landscaped courtyard. This reconfiguration minimizes views from the waiting area to the surrounding jumble of hotels, office towers, and parking lots.
Interior
Wide, expansive pathways and ample wayfinding devices allow for an open work environment and easy circulation for both patients and staff. Each thoroughfare aligns with an existing window opening, and pods installed in the clinic correspond directly with these naturally-lit hallways. Wood flooring was utilized on both ceilings and walls in the Clinic, Waiting, and Physical therapy areas, providing warmth and additional wayfinding.
Exterior
At the western edge of the site, a low polished concrete wall was added to address the street, define a new edge, provide security, and enclose a private courtyard outside the Doctors’ Offices. Existing windowed areas with mansards were replaced and rearticulated to allow more daylight into the building’s interior. Sunscreens are integrated as a part of the new window system. Two new windows on the west side in the Doctors’ Offices incorporate deep portals of glass designed for shading and privacy.
