Healthcare Design - January/February 2016 - 12

MONITOR

Edited by Anne DiNardo

Life

In 2011, California State University Northridge (CSUN)
in Northridge, Calif., conducted a survey to evaluate
the health of its students and found that the top two
health concerns affecting academic performance
were stress and lack of sleep. Benchmarking the results against data from the American College of Health
Association's National College Health Assessment,
however, showed that CSUN students ranked higher
than the national average: 31 percent reported issues
dealing with stress, compared to the national average
of 28 percent, and 21 percent experienced sleep
deprivation, compared to 19 percent.
"Those were their road blocks impacting academic
performance and success," says Winston Bao, an associate and project designer at LPA Inc. (Northridge,
Calif.). CSUN set out to address the issue by providing
a wellness component on campus to help students
foster a better mind-body relationship, partnering with
LPA in 2013 to renovate the lower level of a two-story
classroom and office building into the Oasis Wellness
Center.
While an existing rec center provides an active setting for fitness and student life activities, the wellness
center was designed for a more intimate experience
where students could go to access such amenities
as peer counseling, massage therapy, and nutrition
and wellness advice. Students can even take a nap in
specially designed pods located in a relaxation room,
complete with low light levels, textured glass walls,
and a water feature.
"We challenged them to create a space that
transported a student to a place where they no longer
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felt like they were amongst the hustle, bustle, and
stress of campus," says Jimmy Francis, director of the
Student Recreation Center at CSUN. "We wanted an
intimate, personal retreat, which had connections to
nature and biophilic design elements."
The 5,800-square-foot center, which opened in
August 2015, is located across the walkway from the
rec center to create a synergy between the two facilities. A new red tower housing an elevator bank and
stairwell was added to provide access as well as create a beacon on campus. Inside, the wellness center
uses a similar materials palette to the rec center also
designed by LPA, such as wood plank ceilings, but in
a darker stain for a more tranquil and residential feel.
"It's a yin and yang relationship where they complement each other," Bao says.
The project also transformed 10,000 square feet
of underutilized landscape into a variety of small and
large gathering spaces, including shaded lounge
areas with a fireplace and outdoor settings such as a
Zen garden, labyrinth, and reflection patio.
In addition, the center provides another touchpoint
for CSUN's traditional therapy services to reach students, with its Klotz Student Health Center, University
Counseling Services, and the College of Human
Health and Development all offering programs and
services at the Oasis Wellness Center.
Bao says the center represents a new way of
providing health, fitness, and wellness together in one
place for students. "They're trying to prepare students
for the rest of their lives by helping them create healthy
habits," he says.-Anne DiNardo

Above, left: The south façade
of the Oasis Wellness Center
features a wall of windows and
direct access to the gardens and
labyrinth from the interior lounge.
Top: A relaxation room is adjacent
to the reception desk and features
dim light levels, translucent glass,
a cascading water feature, and nap
pods for sleep therapy. Middle:
Multifunctional therapy rooms can
accommodate a range of services
and are designed similarly to exam
rooms with built-in casework,
counter space, storage, and a
sink. Above: The lounge serves
as the center's living room,
with residential seating options,
daylighting, and views to the
outdoors.

LPA INC./COSTEA PHOTOGRAPHY

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