Space to Heal: Designing with patient and provider health in mind.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa
• Position: HEALTHCARE

As healthcare continues to evolve, so does the space where services are provided. While traditional visits to the doctor included seeing one practitioner in an exam room located in a stand-alone office, today's office design may include "talking rooms," shared space with other businesses, and an emphasis on access and convenience.

In many cases, former retail or commercial spaces have been converted into medical facilities.

"A lot of reasons why medical facilities are moving into retail locations revolve around convenience and access, particularly in urban areas," explains Rich Dallam, managing partner at global architecture firm NBBJ and a leader of its health practice. "Taking time to drive back and forth to the doctor's office is inconvenient; it's easier for people if they can fit it into what they do in daily life, like going to the store or running errands.

"While many drug stores, such as CVS and Walgreens, have responded to consumer demand by venturing into 'primary care lite,' traditional providers are playing catch-up," he continues. "These drug stores already have urgent care centers in retail spaces in many cities."

According to Dallam, like most real estate transactions, location is key. "When we're helping clients find a site, we look for places where there are already drug stores and Starbucks, because this is typically where people live and work," he explains. "And not only is location important but so is the availability of the right kind of space."

The type of space that is required depends on what type of office or clinical space is being built.

Turning a retail space into a primary care office is not particularly complicated in terms of remodeling," says Dallam. "But the moment you start providing imaging, the remodels get more complicated. You need to consider shielding, power requirements, and hazardous materials from contrasts used. There's also the weight of the equipment to consider."

"The existing infrastructure of a retail facility may not work," agrees Karen Stephens, project manager at Architects Alaska. "You need to consider several factors, such as floor-to-floor height, HVAC requirements, and, if the office is located on a building's upper level, the fact that you might need to reinforce the floor to accommodate really heavy equipment like a floor-mounted CT scanner."

"You need to protect what's above and below, which may require radiation screening," adds Kathleen Benoit, project manager at Architects...