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| Title: | Dr. Johnson's Pediatrics Office & Family Weight Loss Center | | Location: | University City, MO | | Year Completed: | 2006 | | Clients: | Dr. Joyce Johnson M.D. | | Contractor: | PK Construction | | Consultants: | RJ Berthold Engineering | | Square Footage: | 2800 |
Description:
Goals & Needs Program:
- Gut rehab of a deteriorated 1930’s duplex storefront building into a contemporary doctor’s office and weight loss education center.
- Preserve the existing terra cotta details on the face of the building.
Design Challenge:
- Building is trapezoidal in plan creating irregular shaped spaces.
- Half the basement was flooded with ground water.
- The space was longitudinally divided by a bearing wall.
- Try to make the spaces seem larger.
- Widespread mechanical equipment mounted of roof needs to be visually screened by code.
- Atypical location of building on property makes the parking lot layout difficult to meet minimum standards.
- Meeting ADA accessibility guidelines at the façade entrances against the public sidewalk.
Concept Solutions:
- Eliminate the bearing wall with a beam to allow flexibility of space planning and views between previously divided spaces. Open up views between spaces by use of partial height walls and French doors.
- Combine the two separate basement spaces into a file storage and mechanical area (eliminate the need for a second stairway)
- Entry to pediatrics office and entrance to weight loss clinic to be separate and use the original entrance locations on the facade.
- Rooftop Mechanical Screen: Utilize neutral color fabric panels in a circular metal frame to enclose the equipment and thus soften the visual impact of the screen on the building and relate in material to the storefront awnings.
- A new public sidewalk was poured in front of the building to allow sloped walk ADA access into the front entries.
- The parking lot spaces/layout was maximized by creating a new exit only curb cut and directing vehicles around the back of the building past adjacent parallel parking spaces.
- Water infiltration into the basement was diverted by a new drainage system at the perimeter of the building.
Supporting Design Features:
- Color and Materials:
- The vibrant use of color was used to create a fun atmosphere for children, yet a contemporary sophisticated look that appeals to adults as well.
- The pediatrics office and the weight loss office each have their own identity by use of different yet complimentary accent wall colors. Neutral wall colors give the spaces a background consistency. Partial height walls slope in height creating dynamic visual elements.
- The use of brushed chrome in the new aluminum storefront, door hardware and light fixtures add a unifying metallic accent to the spaces.
- Wood flooring is impractical in a medical environment but the look of it was desired to warm up the space and make it less institutional appearing. We utilized vinyl strip flooring that resembles wood and is laid like wood planks for a realistic wood floor appearance, and it is suitable for a medical use application.
- Wood doors and trim are stained to compliment the “wood” floor.
- We used and repaired the existing terra cotta storefront base to keep the character of the historic structure. The masonry exterior was tuck-pointed and repainted a neutral colors to compliment the natural brick façade.
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