This is the first in a three-part series leading up to the opening of the UTMB Health Friendswood Primary and Specialty Care Clinic, focused on clinic design. Future installments will explore the construction and operationalization of the space.
To effectively serve a community, understanding its needs is a critical first step. This philosophy has guided the development of UTMB’s newest ambulatory clinic, opening this March in Friendswood.
UTMB has had a long-standing presence in Friendswood, allowing for strong knowledge of the community’s health care needs over many years of service. When the decision was made to relocate from the existing Pediatric and Adult Primary Care Clinic at 128 Parkwood, UTMB leadership embraced the possibilities that a brand-new space presented.
“This clinic was a really exciting blank canvas, and it could be really whatever we wanted it to be,” says Caryn Guajardo, Associate Vice President for Facilities Portfolio Management.
This was a unique opportunity because in most cases, the team is working within an existing building, making minor renovations and expansions. The new construction at 1715 S. Friendswood Drive is a four-story, 105,000-square-foot building in which UTMB will be the sole occupant of the fourth floor.
The new location will encompass not only the adult and pediatric primary care services that have been provided at 128 Parkwood for years, but also welcome high-volume specialties to increase access within the community: orthopedics, cardiology, neurology, and GI. The location will also include pharmacy services.
Guajardo and her team have worked with UTMB executive leadership over the past few years to take a design approach within the ambulatory clinics that prioritizes the experience for all users of the space – patients, families, providers, staff, and learners.
Supporting a wide variety of needs was important to Dr. Vicente Resto, Chief Physician Executive and Senior Vice President for Health System Ambulatory Operations and Surgical Services, noting the multispecialty aspect of the new clinic.
“The design is really driven by our architects, whose design concepts are meant to accentuate light and flow – but also to make sure we meet the technical requirements that each specialty may bring,” he says.
In the Friendswood clinic, the architecture features soft curvature that is intended to guide visitors intuitively through the space – from the public elevator lobby to their first destination at the check-in desk and eventually to the exam room.
The team was purposeful in designing the space so it can adequately accommodate learners, and so that faculty and staff have comfortable spaces for relaxation. This was important, Guajardo says, to ensure the location will provide just as positive an experience for employees, “the individuals who provide care,” as it will for visitors.
“There are many things we have learned from experience: waiting room size, team room size, ways to incorporate learners,” Dr. Resto says. “All of these are fundamental pieces that we now introduce in the design phase up front.”
Guajardo and her team have also developed design concepts meant to reflect the aesthetics of the communities UTMB serves. In Friendswood, which is part of the Bay Area submarket, themes like “adventure,” “wonder,” “exploration” and “discovery” influence various aspects of the building design.
“You think about those words and how they inform the materials. You might look at a speckled pattern and be reminded of the cosmos, or you might see a vibrant orange and some movement in the artwork that reminds you of the blast-off of a rocket ship,” Guajardo says.
Other design elements include ombres that might conjure visions of a sunset view while sailing (exploration) and movement that is reminiscent of a roller coaster (adventure).
“These pattern motifs then go into directly informing material selections. You can see how some of these ideas are kind of carried through into the design,” she says.
Dr. Resto says UTMB’s approach to clinic design has evolved over the years – with the new Friendswood clinic representing a dramatic difference from clinics designed even five to eight years ago.
Guajardo credits all the members of her team for all the details, large and small, that make this clinic stand apart from other health care facilities. From the layout of the space to the artwork on the walls, each element reflects a commitment to an elevated patient experience.
“When you go to the doctor, you are not necessarily feeling well, or you might feel anxious or overwhelmed,” Guajardo says. “We were really intentional from a design standpoint to think about all the different things we could do to help make the experience just a little bit better, with the things that were in our control.”
View select renderings from the space below.
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