UC Davis Health recently marked the opening of the new Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute Building and the expansion of the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC). Located in Sacramento, Calif., the eye center provides eye care, vision research, and training for specialists and investigators. With the new building, the eye center’s vision scientists can increase capacity for clinical trials by 50%.
Designed by HGA in partnership with San Francisco design firm TEF, the state-of-the-art facility consolidates UC Davis Health Eye Center’s optometry and ophthalmology patient care, clinical research and training, and departmental offices all under one roof. The facility integrates a partial renovation of the existing ACC with a new addition, resulting in a 78,500-sf building.
The biophilic design provides filtered daylighting, critical for sight-impaired patients, as well as patterns and views that connect patients with nature. The building also features nature-toned exterior materials at the base, with a folding clear glass curtain wall above.
With a focus on patients, the design includes wayfinding elements that help reduce patient anxiety and improve health outcomes. All clinic waiting and reception areas are located off of a unified circulation spine that runs the length of the building, which helps with wayfinding. The circulation spine also runs parallel to the exterior landscaped promenade, promoting access to nature.
Other patient-centered components include high-contrast colors and textures throughout the building to improve wayfinding, as well as common spaces with home-like furnishings to comfort patients. Amenities include an optical shop, outdoor terrace, and exterior promenade connected to the parking structure with artwork, wall seating, and lighting.
On the Building Team:
Owner: UC Davis Health
Design architect: HGA, in partnership with TEF
Architect of record: HGA
MEP engineer: Guttmann & Blaevoet
Structural engineer: Buehler Engineering Inc.
General contractor: McCarthy Building Companies
Construction management services: Vanir
Civil engineering: Siegfried Engineering
Landscape architecture: Quadriga
Acoustics consulting: The Acoustics and Vibration Group, Inc.
Related Stories
| Jun 20, 2013
Virtual meetings enhance design of University at Buffalo Medical School
HOK designers in New York, St. Louis and Atlanta are using virtual meetings with their University at Buffalo (UB) client team to improve the design process for UB’s new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
| Jun 19, 2013
New York City considers new construction standards for hospitals, multifamily buildings
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration has proposed new building codes for hospitals and multifamily dwellings in New York City to help them be more resilient in the event of severe weather resulting from climate change.
| Jun 17, 2013
DOE launches database on energy performance of 60,000 buildings
The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information.
| Jun 12, 2013
5 building projects that put the 'team' in teamwork
The winners of the 2013 Building Team Awards show that great buildings cannot be built without the successful collaboration of the Building Team.
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 21, 2013
7 tile trends for 2013: Touch-sensitive glazes, metallic tones among top styles
Tile of Spain consultant and ceramic tile expert Ryan Fasan presented his "What's Trending in Tile" roundup at the Coverings 2013 show in Atlanta earlier this month. Here's an overview of Fasan's emerging tile trends for 2013.
| May 20, 2013
Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail
With healthier job growth numbers and construction volumes at near-historic lows, real estate experts at Jones Lang LaSalle see a rosy year for U.S. commercial construction.
| May 9, 2013
Post-tornado Greensburg, Kan., leads world in LEED-certified buildings per capita
Six years after a tornado virtually wiped out the town, Greensburg, Kan., is the world's leading community in LEED-certified buildings per capita.
