Built into a timber loft in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Medical Dermatology Associates is a 5,500-square-foot medical clinic for a newly formed medical practice. The partners wanted to dramatically improve patient experience, and the designers from Woodhouse Tinucci Architects (Chicago) tried to do so by exploring a series of material and circulation layers within the design. Spaces are layered sequentially from public to private, creating separate and efficient circulation loops for patients and doctors. Plank floors and gently curved paneled walls envelope the space in warm, natural materials, providing soft contrast to the existing white-painted timber frame and ceiling. Baltic birch plywood is layered into an entry millwork element that acts as both circulation cue and showcase for the doctors’ custom skincare products. White translucent shades provide order over a random array of utilitarian windows facing the backs of warehouses across a narrow alley, creating a wash of soft daylight for waiting patients. Once through the waiting area, patients enter a main corridor. Cove lighting illuminates the space while magnetic metal panels designate each exam room entry and provide the armature for signage.