Guenther and BaRoss of Perkins+Will New York design LEED Gold ambulatory facility

Perkins+Will New York has designed a new destination ambulatory facility at 51 West 51st St./Rockefeller Center. The flagship project, ColumbiaDoctors Midtown, whose doctors are all affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian, is for the firm's client Columbia University Medical Center. The patient-focused design by Perkins+Will's New York office is marked by refined materials and detailing that echo the International Style tower housing the medical practice. The project leaders were Perkins+Will's Robin Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, and Carolyn BaRoss ASID, IIDA, LEED AP. Perkins+Will has also designed a similarly convenient outpatient facility for the NYU Langone Center for Musculoskeletal Care (CMC). ColumbiaDoctors Midtown achieved LEED Gold certification and will add to the firm's list of green healthcare projects, which have helped the firm win the Champion for Change Award for the 6th year in a row from Practice Greenhealth. The program for ColumbiaDoctors Midtown is substantial, according to project leaders Robin Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP and Carolyn BaRoss, ASID, IIDA, LEED AP. The project team prioritized patient experience in their design, including overall comfort and a tasteful modern aesthetic, as can be observed in the hematology/oncology practice's light-filled cancer care infusion area. Other features of the relocated home for the multi-specialty faculty practice include a branded entrance and private elevator lobby, an imaging suite with a full range of diagnostic imaging services, a full-service laboratory, a walk-in practice offering same-day visits in a variety of specialties, and physical therapy, occupational therapy, and sports therapy facilities. On top of that, there are over 125 examination rooms, more than 30 of which are equipped to provide a full range of procedures - including endoscopy, skin treatments, ultrasound, and cardiac stress tests - in addition to new work areas for 225 doctors, dentists, and nurse practitioners. Despite the variety and scale of the facility's offerings, careful planning allowed for the implementation of clear wayfinding, maximized flexibility for the healthcare professional, and the experience of a private physician's office for each patient. Also prominent throughout the facility are relocated works from the JP Morgan art collection, which were donated to ColumbiaDoctors, and which contribute to the holistic, sophisticated aesthetic of the environment.