The primary design goal established by the Bellingham OB/GYN medical team was to provide a calming experience for expectant parents visiting the clinic. As a result, the most minute details were part of the design strategy, from ensuring that the sloping parking lot grade prevented expectant mothers from having to navigate curbs, to creating an inviting entry procession by landscaping the pathways from the parking lot to the building. As patients approach the building, broad cantilevered roof forms reach out and welcome them while providing protection from rain and sun. Massing and detailing are intentionally simple and linear to evoke a sense of order and harmony.
The central volume of the clinic allows the interior spaces to be filled with natural light, not only in the public areas, but deep into the building. Even the exam rooms have narrow window banners that allow for privacy but bring in daylight. A soothing color palette and comfortable furnishings reinforce the design goal. Lovely interior details, including a translucent screen in the waiting room with natural branches and leaves pressed into it functions as both a HIPPA privacy screen and a primary design element. Its curved form inserted into the rectilinear space adds a feminine energy to the geometry.
Located near the St. Joseph Medical Campus, the doctors also wanted a strong street presence among the numerous other medical offices in the area. To accomplish this, we sited the building parallel to the interior property line. As a result, one arm of the cantilevered roof forms reaches out and addresses the street, while the parking lot is located off to the side giving the warmth of the clinic precedence over cars.