Context/Significance
After struggling for years to find the home it needed, Whittier Street was finally able to build a state of the art health center, thanks to a major Stimulus Grant from Washington. The new building occupies a corner of a larger tract that is slated for mixed-use development but has remained vacant for decades. Its new home will allow Whittier Street to implement health industry best practices for integrated health care delivery to a diverse minority community. This facility expands the range of services that Whittier provides and greatly increases the number of patients it serves.
Description
The building is a six-story, 80,000 sq. ft. structure that houses a full spectrum of out-patient clinics and ancillary health services. The design program included clinics for urgent care, pediatrics, internal medicine, dentistry, OB/GYN, counseling services, administrative offices and retail space.
The award-winning design features a glassy exterior that offers a glimpse of what happens inside the clinic, but only the patients can truly appreciate how the building enables doctors and nurses to deliver comprehensive health care based on a “medical home” model. DHK designed a joyful and relaxing interior environment that celebrates the community’s diversity. It’s an example of organized complexity and beautiful organization that serves our client well.
Special features
The design incorporates a host of sustainable features and achieved the LEED Silver Certification from the USGBC