Sunnyvale and Fair Oaks Health Centers
CLIENT: Santa Clara County Medical Center
ARCHITECTS: Anshen+Allen, Peter Schlosser, Bill Weber, Ian Lawlor, Andy Adams, Michael Robbins
STRUCTURAL: Rutherford and Chekene
MEP: Guttmann Blaevoet
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: McCarthy
The health center at Sunnyvale is one of three medical office buildings programed, designed and built at the same time to leverage resources and benefit from an economy of scale.
Natural lighting and sustainability are key factors in the design that incorporates sophisticated sun control devices. Careful control of public and private space results in a clear plan organization and is expressed on the building's exterior. Modular planning maximize flexibility for future change.
Bringing natural lighting as far as possible into the building, eliminating dark corridors was a design goal. Custom sunscreens were developed, based on location and need, to shade the most impacted areas. Specialized glass types with translucent patterns were used to further reduce heat gain and improve performance. The building plan, 45,000sf, is organized around a public/ private zoning to provide clarity of circulation, and ease of way-finding with views of the garden and distant mountains beyond. The modular planning used in each of the health centers was developed to maximize efficiency and interchangeability between physicians’ offices, exam rooms of treatment rooms.
To optimize the county's budget, design features are located where they are appreciated the most. The main feature, a rotunda built around the public stair connects public waiting rooms on all levels. The elegant sun shades, sculptural stair, and interior finishes work together to tie the interior and exterior together and provide an iconic entry point.
The building provides a mix of county health services including public health, women and infant care. Opened in 2009, the Sunnyvale health center is the successful result of an innovative prototyping/ branding strategy.
