Project of the Month: Choice One Development, LLC develops 20,851 s/f medical office building for Unity Health

The new Unity Health at Chili Medical Office Building, located at 3379 Chili Ave., is a single-story structure whose design welcomes staff and patients of Unity Health System residing in Chili. Aesthetically, the building has an American craftsmen influence and features a warm color palette. Textures vary throughout, reflecting the diversity of the surrounding community. The exterior utilizes Nichiha, a fiber cement panel that is a durable and cost effective solution to stone-like aesthetic. The overall architectural vernacular welcomes and comforts visiting patients during their care and treatment at the Unity Health Medical Office. The interior space optimizes exterior views for the patient treatment areas and maximizes patient comfort and privacy. Choice One Development's design and construction team, led by David Baker and Charles Berends, consisted of Smith + Associates Architects, Glenn Douglas Constructors and Baker Mechanical Systems. "Choice One Development and its team have raised the bar for what excellent patient service can be," said Warren Hern, CEO, Unity Health System. Among other features, the new building includes: * An accessible 96-space parking plan that allows short travel to the main covered entrance, an important consideration for patients in winter. * A canopy sheltering the drop-off entry into an air-lock foyer with direct lobby access to all three tenants, allowing patients to stay dry while keeping heat and cool air contained in the building. * Centralized waiting rooms sufficient to seat 45 patients/visitors to suitably meet the needs of the practice and dialysis center. * A central business office with check-in and check-out windows located for patients' privacy; a work area for reception and check-out staff; clear visibility of the waiting area and work space for the practice coordinator. * Twenty clinical exam rooms and sixteen dialysis stations. Tenants of the project include Unity Dialysis at Chili, Unity Family Medicine at Chili and ACM Medical Laboratory patient service center, which conducts clinical tests, from simple blood analysis to complex molecular diagnosis. The Renal Center will have the capacity to provide treatment to 96 patients. "Choice One Development is pleased to have developed another state-of-the-art patient-centered medical office building that will enable Unity's staff and care givers to deliver the Unity Brand Promise everyday to the patients they treat and serve," said Charles Berends, managing partner. "The success of this project is a testament to the teamwork of Choice One Development, Unity and their collective design and construction partners." "We designed the facility to maximize a positive experience for patients and their families, including an expansive waiting room and canopy that shelters patients from the weather at drop-off out front," said Ken Smith, president, Smith + Associates. "When it comes to healthcare and healing, we share Unity Health's vision of speedy recoveries and strong staff dedication and efficient practices." The medical office building is partially occupied and the dialysis center is expected to be completed in November.