Contract - October 2010 - (Page 66)

design best foot forward Randy Brown Architects designs a dynamic new medical office for Omaha Foot & Ankle By Danine Alati • Photography by Farshid Assassi When Dr. Michael Cullen and his wife Michelle Legnza realized that their podiatry practice was outgrowing its Omaha office, the couple sought a new home that would accurately reflect their progressive office in a larger space and allow them to improve functionality and patient flow and add a retail component. Cullen and Legnza initially were attracted to Randy Brown Architects (RBA) because RBA’s own office is housed in a modern, funky building. “It was easy for us to drive by and say we should start here,” recalls Legnza. “Then we met with the RBA design team, and from the first minute it was like they were reading our minds.” Legnza and Cullen walked the designers through their previous office and had them observe day-to-day operations so they could understand how things should flow. Circulation was crucial, and RBA delineated a floor plan that is clear and logical. Patients come in one door to the south and exit through a door to the west; they never backtrack, and the checkout process is private and separate from the waiting area. Locating the retail component adjacent to the waiting area enables patients to shop while they wait for 66 contract october 2010 their appointment. And situating the six patient rooms in a semicircle surrounding the lab was another logistical design decision. “We have made the office flow really easy on patients and staff,” says Legnza, noting that the open lab area allows the doctors and assistants to have everything right at hand with materials they need never more than 10 steps away. “Movement of people was a key component to our design,” explains Randy Brown, FAIA, principal at RBA. “And we tried to make architectural elements out of functional elements of the space.” For example, all doctors’ offices have the door that separates the waiting area/public space from the patient rooms, but the RBA design team decided to emphasize this door, which they refer to as the “threshold.” Brown says, “You always have that door, but no one ever thinks to celebrate it.” The designers employed an oversized polycarbonate and stainless-steel pivoting door. A slot in the wall next to the door connects to the reception desk so staff can slip records from reception into a chart-holder pocket built into the wall outside the threshold; this simple design detail facilitates office functionality. www.contractdesign.com http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - October 2010

Contract - October 2010
Contents
Editor's Note
Industry
Resources
Focus: What's Next
Focus: A New Conversation
Materials: Cork and Circumstances
Green: Net Zero
Practice: The Office That Never Closes
Splashy and Sustainable
The Art of Healthcare Design
Best Foot Forward
Harmonious and Healthy
Of Sea and Stone
Live Long and Prosper
Trends: From Illness Care to Wellness Care
Process: On the Front Line
Designers Rate
Sources
Ad Index
Perspectives

Contract - October 2010