The University of California at San Diego, La Jolla Internal Medicine & Medicine for Seniors

The design for the new Internal Medicine and Senior Medicine Clinic tenant improvement supports wellness for patients and staff in a functional, inclusive and empathetic environment. The clinic features 40 exam rooms, a waiting area with traditional and electronic check-in, off-stage provider areas and support spaces.

This project is the first to follow the UC San Diego Health Clinical Guideline Standards which were developed by our firm. The warm finishes, comfortable furnishings, and lighting transform the atmosphere. The clinic’s wayfinding system employs photographs and wall murals of California and Southwest landscapes to ease navigation and cultivate a calming environment. Local San Diego photographer, John O’Nelio, was behind the lens of the scenic photographs.

The project’s on-stage/off-stage model encourages provider collaboration, allows efficiency in care and increased satisfaction. The design leverages connection to outdoor views and natural light for staff and patients through maximizing the storefront adjacent to the outer circulation.

A variety of collaboration zones and meeting and support spaces help communicate ideas and diagnoses efficiently; foster training of medical staff; and provide places of respite and internal team building.

Sustainability was a high-priority design goal and was reached with the new clinic achieving LEED CI v4 Silver certification.