Worth Health Center
How should student behavior impact the programming of a student health center? In early design, the project team for this student health center renovation visited recently completed centers on nearby campuses. One takeaway was that our clients did not want to duplicate a frequent feature: waiting areas that provide study space amenities. The Director of Student Health wanted to reinforce an important wellness concept, that you need to focus on your body when you’re not well, not on work. Informed by her leadership, this student health center renovation turned the focus of the building from an urgent care model to one that puts a focus on health education and overall wellbeing.
Additions were clad in a rainscreen of Alaskan cedar boards, stained a warm russet color picked up from the rust-colored stones mixed in with the predominant grey of the original stone building. Heavy cast stone window embrasures were demolished to accommodate larger windows in the original openings.
The exterior palette of metallic-coated wood windows, standing seam roof, and cedar was selected both for durability and to convey a message of welcome and comfort. Interior colors and finishes relate to the greenery of the campus that is visible through the windows. Through a combination of envelope improvements and new building systems, the building’s energy use was significantly reduced.
