Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Children's Clinic, Othello
Category
INhealthcare
Description
Firm: NBBJ
Project Name: Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Children's Clinic, Othello
Project Statement: When designing a healthcare clinic to serve diverse youth in Seattle, we quickly learned that a conventional design process would not lead to outcomes the community needed most. Instead, we challenged our own way of thinking and, with the community, co-created a clinic that directly supports their aspirations and well-being, and which aspires to cultivate a sense of community in its design and experience. By embracing an integrated care model and providing more space in rooms like the waiting area and exam rooms, the clinic responds to community feedback to accommodate large families and care teams during the long visits preferred by many patients. Local artwork that honors the clinic's legacy and celebrates its cultural heritage adorns the walls. In addition, the project considers the needs of the staff, who may experience structural inequities and disinvestment themselves, to redefine what a health clinic in a high-need area can be.
The clinic unites multiple health services for children and teens under one roof. It includes an outpatient pediatric clinic, pediatric medical care, behavioral health, dental services, nutrition, sports medicine, physical therapy and occupational therapy, creating a one-stop model that offers united care that is integrated, accessible and convenient for patients.
The project provides transformative features that:
• Cultivate Mutual Trust. The open Town Square design provides a welcoming space for care providers to connect with patients and families and collaborate with colleagues. Rather than isolated behind closed doors, care teams are visible immediately when patents arrive to show what they look like to the patients.
• Foster Connections. A front porch provides an inviting place for families to wait together, while also providing space for informal interactions with their care providers.
• Enhance Relationships. Instead of focusing solely on direct medical intervention, the building becomes a safe home away from home, celebrating and supporting the community through unique amenities for patients, staff and the neighborhood, from a community kitchen and resource library to a basketball court.
• Uplift and Provide Respite. More than 20 commissioned pieces of artwork by local artists—from the entry to the exam rooms and corridors—provide a sense of belonging, comfort and wayfinding.
Gentrification in the once predominantly black Central District neighborhood in Seattle where the first children's clinic was founded has displaced many long-time residents. Expanding services south and ensuring access led to a new second facility. The children's clinic partnered with the Othello Square community development project in Southeast Seattle to break this cycle of displacement and create a thriving community for all, prioritizing child health, community wellness, education, business development and a path to home ownership.
This has provided the opportunity to listen to the unique needs of this community, rethink what is most important, and design the clinic around that: relationships. The community asked that this clinic be about more than healthcare—a place to hang out after school and study, play basketball and soccer, hold events, share a meal and access food resources.
The design relies on organizing elements such as a main street and town square where nontraditional clinic services such as a marketplace for healthy food, resources for education and different space types to maximize staff and patient interactions. This layout breaks down barriers and prioritizes transparency in order to promote trust, connect communities and mentor children.
One of the project’s most innovative features that supports wellbeing is the Town Square space that rethinks the conventional medical planning approach. Rather than create offstage spaces for providers and patients, it instead supports the unique cultural aspects of visiting the doctor, putting everyone onstage to build trust and transparency. Kids can see their doctors and caregivers working, while having opportunities to meet, connect and build relationships. Playful design elements reinforce familiarity and comfort, such as colorful front porches, column covers in the shape of trees and upholstered benches stocked with free children’s books.
The project showcases a unique approach to resource design, celebrating craft and materiality of the local community. Community members expressed that they did not want the space to feel clinical and emphasized the idea of "no blank walls." They also reinforced that it was important to create a sense of affirmation and belonging. Over 20 commissioned art pieces fill the clinic with imagery of local artists, offering an environment that reinforces a sense of belonging for the neighborhood and for its patients. Artwork celebrates individuals with a diverse range of abilities and helps patients see themselves and their own health stories in the artwork itself.
Throughout the project, the design prioritizes health and equal access. Interior finishes are low- to zero-VOC without antimicrobial treatments and environmental toxins. Front porches in the Town Square space incorporate reclaimed wood siding. Environmental graphics double as wayfinding elements while showcasing the history of the clinic, the evolution of the neighborhood, and local, inspiring mentors. In addition, the project used 45% of suppliers from w/MBE firms.
Using healthy, durable materials that consider patient, family and provider health, the OBCC seeks to create healing spaces that support all occupants. The design centers on a strategic approach toward material selection that balances longevity and beauty.
Christina Yates
Interior Designer, Senior Associate
Greg Swinton
Project Manager, Senior Associate
Laurel Rech
Project Architect, Senior Associate
Don Lemmon
Senior Technical Designer, Associate
Hao Duong
Medical Planner
Ashlee Washington
Interior Designer
Jana Yama
Interior Designer
Evan Conroy
Project Manager
Structural Engineer | Lund Opshal | |
Structural Engineer
Lund Opshal
Mechanical Engineer | FSI Engineers | |
Mechanical Engineer
FSI Engineers
General Contractor | Absher Construction | |
General Contractor
Absher Construction
Acoustics | A3 Acoustics | |
Acoustics
A3 Acoustics
Architecture (Shell & Core) | Weber Thompson | |
Architecture (Shell & Core)
Weber Thompson
Landscape Architecture | Weber Thompson | |
Landscape Architecture
Weber Thompson
Art Consultant | JohnsonRamirez | |
Art Consultant
JohnsonRamirez
Signage & Wayfinding | Studio SC | |
Signage & Wayfinding
Studio SC
Furniture | Systems Source, Inc. | |
Furniture
Systems Source, Inc.