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Architecture
Interior Design
Programming
Wayfinding/Signage -
Adaptive Reuse
Carbon-Sequestering Materials
Enhanced Site Accessibility
Habitat Restoration
Light Pollution Reduction
Low Maintenance Materials
Rainwater Management -
Completed October 2009
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Memphis, Tennessee
Tabor Orthopedics
Redefining the image of a nearly 40-year-old orthopedic practice through the adaptive reuse of a 1991 insurance office building.
Located in a busy commercial district, the vacant office building was reclaimed to create a more efficient and open work environment, and provide a covered drop-off area, as well as ample parking, for its patients.
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The new design is a fresh and efficient use of the space, taking full advantage of natural light through existing window openings. The design approach also incorporates creative architectural way-finding devices through color and material selection offering a more serene atmosphere for patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and support personnel.
The program is comprised four components: Patient Waiting and Public Areas; a Clinic; Doctors’ Offices; and a Physical Therapy Suite. The design of each component is organized around the existing building shell attributes, which were retained during demolition. The existing State Farm parking garage was reassembled as a new waiting room with a private, landscaped courtyard. This reconfiguration minimizes views from the waiting area to the surrounding jumble of hotels, office towers, and parking lots.
Wide, expansive pathways and ample wayfinding devices allow for an open work environment and easy circulation for both patients and staff. Each thoroughfare aligns with an existing window opening, and pods installed in the clinic correspond directly with these naturally lit hallways. Wood flooring was utilized on both ceilings and walls in the Clinic, Waiting, and Physical therapy areas, providing warmth and additional wayfinding.
At the western edge of the site, a low polished concrete wall was added to address the street, define a new edge, provide security, and enclose a private courtyard outside the Doctors’ Offices. Existing windowed areas with mansards were replaced and rearticulated to allow more daylight into the building’s interior. Sunscreens are integrated as a part of the new window system. Two new windows on the west side in the Doctors’ Offices incorporate deep portals of glass designed for shading and privacy.