Project category: New construction (completed December 2004)

Chief administrator: Hank Adolfi, Chief Administrator, (559) 322-4261

Firm: Facility Designs, (559) 432-3200

Design team: Suzanne Byrnes, Designer, Principal (Facility Designs); Jim Kennedy, Project Manager (Quiring General); Ildefonso DeAlba, Project Architect (HGA)

Photography: Keith Seaman

Total building area (sq. ft.): 10,564

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $199

Total construction cost (excluding land): $2,099,499


Upon entering Sierra Imaging, patients and visitors are immediately struck by the lobby area. The suspended panels of translucent resin serve to establish the Sierra-inspired shape of a graceful leaf that repeats throughout the space. A center island adds aspects of privacy while continuing an elliptical theme.

The gentle curves of the inlaid carpet echo the soffits above and keep one’s eyes moving down the hall toward the subwaiting area. The original artwork and unique lighting fixtures put patients’ minds at ease as they wait for their procedures to begin. The treatment/staging area is set back from the main hallway and softly lit, lending an added sense of calm.

The executive conference room features a unique table that repeats the organic leaf design. The same form is repeated in the suspended resin panels that diffuse the ceiling light. Perhaps most distinctive are large light-box panels that create illusions of skylights and windows with outdoor scenes. In each of the lead-lined MRI rooms, backlit pictures of palm trees and autumn leaves help to counter what is traditionally a cold, institutional feel. These light-box panels have been a welcome addition for the patients and staff.

Glass tiles in shades of green tea and aquamarine accent the walls in the lobby restroom. Polished limestone on the floors and walls reinforces the environmental theme of the project.

All the design elements of the U-shaped building come together to support the strength of technology and the softness of a caring environment.