Salvaged wooden and vibrant murals by native artists are among the many ornamental options within the NBBJ-designed Odessa Brown Kids’s Clinic, which mixes medical companies with public facilities like a basketball court docket and neighborhood kitchen.
The healthcare facility is situated in Seattle’s Othello neighbourhood, a various space that traditionally has been dwelling to immigrant communities.
The venture concerned intensive public outreach and engagement, and areas are particularly designed with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of color) customers in thoughts.
The clinic occupies two ranges in a six-storey constructing referred to as Othello Sq., which additionally accommodates residences and a kindergarten.
Owned by Seattle Kids’s Hospital, the clinic gives medical, dental and psychological well being companies for teenagers. The ability additionally contains neighborhood centre-type areas, comparable to a basketball court docket and research areas.
“The neighborhood requested that this clinic be about greater than healthcare – a spot to hang around after faculty and research, play basketball and soccer, maintain occasions, share a meal and entry meals sources,” stated NBBJ, which is headquartered in Seattle.
“The OBCC’s connective facilities are open to not simply clinic sufferers however the neighbourhood at massive, uniting a number of generations to foster instructing, studying and sharing.”
The clinic’s floor stage encompasses a recreation centre and neighborhood kitchen, whereas the medical features are housed on the higher stage. The ability totals 41,679 sq. toes (3,872 sq. metres).
The staff drew upon the native milieu to plan, organise and beautify the power.
A spread of healthcare rooms – for exams, remedy, counselling, session and imaging – are organized round a ready room. Envisioned as a “city sq.”, the central area options snug furnishings and areas for learning and studying.
Acquainted parts comparable to entrance porches and neighbourhood blocks impressed sure design options within the clinic. Brilliant colors have been impressed by the native context and are supposed to “specific vibrancy and pleasure”.
Commissioned work by native artists is featured all through, serving to the power really feel welcoming and relatable.
“Neighborhood members expressed that they didn’t need the area to really feel medical, and emphasised the concept of ‘no clean partitions’,” the staff stated.
A mixture of supplies could be discovered on the partitions, comparable to printed murals, stretched material and salvaged skip-planed wooden siding. Flooring contains polished concrete, rubber and linoleum, and ceilings are coated in acoustical panels.
Casework is manufactured from white oak and faux-wood laminate, and privateness screens are fabricated of perforated steel.
Whereas NBBJ has designed quite a few healthcare services, this venture required an unconventional method.
“The normal strategy of design does not work uniformly, and it is not significantly nicely suited to deprived communities,” the staff stated.
“How then do you create a extra equitable course of and outcomes? How do you give the neighborhood a voice?”
The staff sought intensive enter from a spread of stakeholders, together with sufferers, dad and mom, medical practitioners, childcare suppliers, and others. That enter straight formed the design of the area.
“We realized an inclusive design course of lets the neighborhood lead,” the staff stated. “It’s grounded in belief and relationships, transparency and connections.”
Different current tasks by NBBJ embrace a vibrant playground at a public housing complicated in Los Angeles, which it designed in collaboration with American musician Flea.
The pictures is by Sean Airhart.
