PHOTO TOUR: D.S. Chen Health and Wellness Center
Robert Benson Photography
A transparent façade design creates a welcoming entrance on the north face of the new health and wellness center, which anchors a newly designed exterior courtyard.
Robert Benson Photography
The building’s white clapboard and pitched roof façade blend in with the colonial character of the historic Deerfield, Mass., neighborhood.
Robert Benson Photography
A large solar panel array installed on the south face of the facility offsets the building’s energy usage. The south face of the building also includes the ambulance drop off area and service bays for the campus grounds department.
Robert Benson Photography
Custom furniture and accents, including handcrafted wood inlay artwork, a dynamic green area rug that echoes the school’s colors, and a variety of colorful throw pillows create a welcoming, residential feel in the main lobby.
Robert Benson Photography
The medication office privately dispenses treatment to students in a light-filled corridor away from public spaces.
Robert Benson Photography
Biophilic design concepts were incorporated throughout the building. A range of tactile surfaces and natural materials combine to evoke a sense of warmth and create patterns that reflect the fractal geometries found in nature.
Robert Benson Photography
Housing both an outpatient clinic and a 10-bed inpatient infirmary, the center incorporates finishes, including resilient woodgrain plank flooring and woven, bleach-cleanable fabrics, to create a familiar, residential experience for students and staff.
Robert Benson Photography
Exterior wood slat screening offers sun shading and a sense of privacy in the corridors.
Robert Benson Photography
A quiet room on the second floor establishes a dedicated space for refuge and reflection. Large corner windows offer calming views of the greenery beyond.
Robert Benson Photography
Sound masking and integrated door seals help create an acoustically secure space for counseling services, which are clustered with upper-level classrooms so students can discretely seek counseling services.
At Deerfield Academy, an independent, co-educational boarding and day school located in Deerfield, Mass., a clear consensus emerged to upgrade the academy’s undersized 1940s health center building to a larger, more full-service facility that aligned with its commitment to sustainability, health, and wellness.
Enter Deerfield Academy’s D. S. Chen Health and Wellness Center completed in August 2019. The school partnered with architectural design firm ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge (Boston) to design a welcoming space that encourages students to feel comfortable seeking health services.
Sustainable elements, including energy-efficient mechanical systems, daylighting, and natural materials, were incorporated into the design. Large windows and views of the surrounding trees and landscape support the project’s biophilic design goals, with windows in all the patient rooms, staff break rooms, and offices, as well as shared spaces such as the waiting areas, day room, and quiet room. Strategically placed wood screening filters daylight while providing a sense of privacy.
A nature-inspired color scheme is used throughout, with vibrant greens and golds in geometric patterns and varied textures used in the public spaces, and softer blue and brown tones in the patient rooms and offices.
To help create a warm, residential experience, furniture and furnishings were selected to offer a homelike appeal, including hanging pendants and floor lamps with hand-woven shades, which integrate with the other design elements in texture and color.
Thoughtful consideration was taken to create actively curated art walls for displaying more than 50 pieces of student artwork in the facility, as well as a large, custom wood inlay art piece created by a staff member on display in the main waiting area.
Planning efforts focused on finding ways to allow for privacy for specific services without isolating them away from the public spaces. For example, a medication office is located off the main entrance in a private, light-filled corridor, with wood-slat screening along the front exterior glazing to create a sense of privacy.
The replacement building provides a more accessible route for students needing to pick up medication or seek healthcare services. As a result of the new design, there’s been a significant increase in students seeking care, allowing the school to better support students’ health and wellness needs.
Project details:
Facility name: D. S. Chen Health and Wellness Center
Location: Deerfield, Mass.
Completion date: August 2019
Owner: Deerfield Academy
Total building area: 30,000 sq. ft. (including lower level for campus services)
Total construction cost: $11.1 million
Cost/sq. ft.: $370/sq. ft.
Architecture firm: ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge
Interior design: ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge
Construction Manager: Engelberth Construction
Engineering: Rist-Frost-Shumway Engineering
