Stanford Children’s Health (Palo Alto, Calif.) is a growing community physician and sub-specialty group, developed in partnership with owner Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and the Stanford School of Medicine. 

In September 2013, the group opened a new pediatric clinic in Emeryville, Calif., as part of Stanford’s efforts to provide more community-based healthcare services in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 12,400-square-foot clinic was designed by Kava Massih Architects (Berkeley, Calif.) with interior design by Aaron Buehring of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford.

The design and construction were completed within a six-month timeframe, beginning in March 2013 with the clinic completed and operating by the end of September.

A primary challenge on the project was transforming a former 1940s industrial warehouse into a warm, patient-friendly healthcare environment while also maintaining the architectural integrity of the structure. Color, texture, and items of interest are varied throughout the entire clinic. The original high steel-framed clerestories fill the overall space with natural light utilizing the double height-exposed structural bay with metal deck and truss joints.

Blending elements of the existing structure with a soft color palette makes the open reception and waiting area at the northwest corner of the building comfortable and inviting. The waiting areas are designed to appeal to children of all ages, with a suspended submarine and shipwrecked boat play structure in the main waiting area, complete with interactive features that are ADA accessible to all patients and visitors.

Under-the-sea icons throughout the clinic, such as sand dollars, submarines, and an aquarium, add to the theme.

Another challenge was the clinic's programming, which needed to combine orthopedics and cardiology into a single facility, with separate zones as well as some shared elements.

The orthopedics program has two radiology rooms, a two-bed casting room, a physical therapy room, and a dedicated four-room exam pod. Cardiology houses an EKG room, three echocardiogram rooms, and an intake room, as well as its own four-room exam pod.

The shared elements include a four-room central exam pod that serves either program depending on patient volume.  Support services for the clinic include administrative offices, a call center, video conferencing room, and staff lounge.

Overall, the project supports the vision and goals of Stanford Children’s Health with a functional layout for care givers, architecture that adapts and re-uses an older building, and design features that appeal to children of all ages.

 

Project source list:

Tenant: Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford

Building Owner:  Wareham Development

Project Location: Emeryville, Calif.

Design Phase:  March 2013-May 2013

Construction Phase: June 2013-September 2013

Completion Date: September 30, 2013

Square Footage:  12,400 square feet

Construction Cost: $3,700,000

Contractor: DPR Construction

Structural: ZFA

Cost Estimator: Mack5

MEP: Guttmann & Blaevoet