Project category: Project in progress/On the board (May 2004)

Chief administrator: Tom Van Sweringen, Executive Director, (360) 253-1442

Firm: The Neenan Company, (970) 493-8747

Design team: Miguel Burbano de Lara, Principal Architect; Robert Mooney, Project Architect; Roger Wedderburn, Architectural Intern; Dawn Wells, Senior Interior Designer; Andy Goldman, Interior Designer

Illustration: Robert Lucero; Roger Wedderburn

Total building area (GSF): 66,800

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $139

Total cost (excluding land): $9,200,000

As the Pacific Northwest’s rapid population growth continues spurring the demand for healthcare services, The Vancouver Clinic has found a cost-effective, quality solution for long-term expansion. A prototype facility design creates an efficient and functional wellness atmosphere by organizing standardized clinical modules around a central circulation spine, to facilitate easy access and wayfinding while segregating patient, staff, and service functions.

The central vaulted galleria creates the naturally lit, voluminous space key to patients’ emotional and psychological comfort. On the exterior, the main vault, vaulted canopies, window walls, and masonry and stone materials define a distinctive new image for The Vancouver Clinic that will carry into future facilities.

Serving the growing eastern side of the city, this new Vancouver Clinic location offers primary care medical services supported with pediatrics, internal medicine, family practice, radiology, laboratory, physical therapy, and pharmacy services. The facility’s design incorporates advanced technology for administrative, medical, and operational efficiency. A flexible communications infrastructure supports electronic medical records, digital imaging, and remote administrative controls, while allowing for easy upgrading as new technologies become available. Sustainable design features such as daylighting and low-“E” glass reduce energy demand and maximize healing natural light. State-of-the-art clinical mechanical systems ensure a “clean” building environment with appropriate heating and ventilation.

Located adjacent to the newly developed Columbia Tech Center office, research, and community services park, The Vancouver Clinic will spark further development in the area by contributing much-needed local healthcare services. Using the design/build delivery method to ensure quality as well as rapid delivery, the clinic will house up to 45 providers when it opens in the summer of 2004.