Specialty Care Addition
This new high-performance addition consolidates six specialty clinics onto one floor of the ambulatory building, so clear wayfinding, adjacencies, and efficient patient waiting and travel routes were crucial. Support areas are centrally located so the clinics can share support staff, thereby improving staff workflow and communication. The central waiting area is subdivided into three areas that help orient patients toward the right clinic.
CHA’s feasibility study documented gaps between the structural system and current seismic codes. New shear walls had to be installed through the existing floors in order to ensure the stability of the 1970s building with addition of a new third floor. Mechanical and electrical systems and elevators were also upgraded throughout the building to comply with current VA standards.
As this clinic houses a variety of ambulatory services for VA patients in limited space, each room was customized for specific equipment, procedures, and storage. Lighting is highly specialized, and wall and flooring color palettes are used throughout to facilitate wayfinding. The audiology suite includes several soundproof testing rooms with adjacent control rooms for the technician. These are placed on a raised floor engineered to dampen sound and vibration.