LOCATION: This project was located on a 4-acre suburban plot adjacent to a Humana Hospital. The site is flat, soft, marshy soil covered with a second growth of native trees and plants. It is served by a nearby interstate highway and major road arteries.

CHALLENGE: To provide medical offices for hospital staff, and multiple business/retail outlets to complement the office and hospital functions. The site is relatively isolated from typical urban support facilities and needs to be totally independent. The project’s parking load must be entirely self-contained, since no other parking – on or off-street is available for overflow.

SOLUTION: The development is designed to enhance each doctors’ medical practice, instead of having it swallowed in a maze of anonymous commercial hallways. The use of a series of small buildings, punctuated by views and courtyards will provide a more relaxed environment for the patient than a monolithic structure. 

The development consists of a rhythmic sequence of 4-story brick and glass buildings, linked together by a succession of bridges, towers, intimate courtyards, and terraces tucked into a surrounding forest. The office buildings are rotated on an angle to increase the visual depth of the tree cover and reduce the view of the busy street nearby.Native planting will be maintained and enhanced. 

A pedestrian connection with the neighboring Humana Hospital is achieved by broad, stone-paved walkways punctuated by fountains and bordered by flowering trees. 

The Medical Center’s roadways connect with the hospital’s system for easy access. The parking garage is completely hidden behind office spaces, stair towers and interior courtyards. Auxiliary services provided will include a health club, bank, day care center, cafes, florist, gift shop, newsstand, and a small hotel for patient’s families.

The scale of the buildings, the choice of materials, and the pattern of garden courts, footpaths and vistas are all designed to provide the most tranquil, attractive, secure working environment possible for both physicians and their patients.