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Architects: Marlon Blackwell Architects
- Area: 15493 ft²
- Year: 2016
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Photographs:Timothy Hursley
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Manufacturers: Morin Corp., Sherwin-Williams, CertainTeed, Coronet, Kawneer, Symmons
Text description provided by the architects. The Harvey Pediatric Clinic is the new home of a thriving pediatric clinic based in Rogers, Arkansas. Situated in a land formerly dotted by the silhouettes of singular objects such as barns, sheds, silos, RV vehicles and semi-trucks, the building is a biological cousin to these different typologies. It is a silent, yet strong, contrast in figure and color to the excess of materials, weak forms, and beige tones that make up the everyday suburban landscape that surrounds the building.
The building’s bold profile provides the Clinic’s identifIcation for children and parents alike while establishing a strong presence along South 52nd Street, the main commercial corridor in the area. Cayenne-colored metal panel wraps the south elevation, which is lit from above along the edge with a skylight that stretches the length of the building. A portal at the ground floor creates a drop-off area for patients under the elevated cayenne form. Tenant spaces on either side of the pass-through are wrapped in glass, providing a connection with the surrounding landscape and an establishing visual and material separation from the upper floor.
Entering the building from the portal, one ascends a stair that is embedded in the “foot” of the structure. Blue glass in the skylight above washes the stair with blue light. The color creates a vertical threshold that suggests a place of healing lies above. Upon ascending the stair, patients arrive in the waiting room at the east end of the building. Fins along the eastern glass wall guard the interior from excessive solar exposure.
Sixteen exam rooms are organized along a looping corridor creating a simple circulation path from the waiting room and check-in, to the exam room, to check-out. Skylights over the two nurses’ stations, which are distributed between the exam rooms, bring ample natural light into the center of the building.
The west end of the building houses the Clinic’s administrative functions. The Flex Space is the hub for the administrative staff. The double-height space is capped by the pop-up along the south half of the building, which contributes to the bold, figural shape and holds a mezzanine – a private break room for Dr. Harvey – with a wall of glass to the north, allowing light to wash the interior and providing a visual connection to the sky. A break room for the staff at the west end of the ground floor is the point of arrival for the staff and looks out onto a small porch and garden, providing a quiet place of reprieve.
The Cayenne metal panel is a custom color that was developed specifically for the project. A standard, weathered zinc metal panel is used on the north side of the building, which is formally quieter yet abstract in its detailing. A ribbon window reinforces the horizontality of the form and the darker, cool gray recedes, giving emphasis to the saturated, warm color used on the south figure. A flat metal panel profile is used on the west elevation and soffit, while a box rib metal panel profile lends a subtle texture to the north and south elevations. Custom break metal trims are used throughout, allowing the detailing of the skin to reinforce the abstract quality of the building’s shape.
The Harvey Pediatric Clinic is a progressive building for a progressive client, one who seeks a holistic approach to medicine and healing. The building compliments the practice and elevates the medical office typology and delivers a high-quality, efficient space enclosed in a bold figure.
