MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY MULTISPECIALTY MEDICAL CLINIC
INSPIRED DESIGN:
The community-based clinic unites several specialty areas under one roof, including the Dental Institute with 216 operatories and a surgical suite, the Eye Institute, the Family Practice Clinic, Speech Language Pathology, Sports Medicine and Vision Therapy. The highly efficient open floor plan with primary circulation along the building perimeter was designed to maximize natural light and promote easy wayfinding using views of external landmarks. A central vertical core with stairs, elevators and vertical reciprocating conveyors keeps both patient and provider circulation efficient across multiple floors and connects directly to the lower floor for just-in-time sterilization and supply services.
THOUGHTFUL STEWARDSHIP:
As the first off-campus Clinic for the University, the building welcomes in the local community to what will eventually be a new clinical campus. To facilitate quick, convenient, and secure access to the clinic and future buildings during the icy winters, the parking garage is centrally located on the site with a heated walkway connecting to the clinic. There is an option to extend an underground connection from the garage as the client base grows.
CREATIVE TEAMWORK:
The fast-growing dental teaching clinic is the largest occupant of the building and needed to accommodate more than double the initially anticipated student load. Multiple prototype dental ‘pods’ were designed by DWL, mocked-up by the contractor, tested and compared by the faculty, and tested by the maintenance crew before the optimal pod was selected. The final design has 192 operatory pods in clusters of eight in an area initially programmed for a mere 102 operatories.
ENDURING COMMITMENT:
The clinic was a multi-phased project with the shell designed and in construction during the programming of the interior. The lower floors were built-out and occupied while the upper floors were under construction. This smooth process spanning many years is a testament to the flexibility and long-range planning integral to the design, and to the unique advantages of having a personalized design team that stands by our client in the long-term.
