Minutes away from the Taquitz Canyon, facing the grand San Jacinto mountain range in the heart of Palm Springs, a new, 35,000 square foot regional community care center for Riverside University Health Systems, will stand as the predominant, public, comprehensive outpatient medical facility, elevating the delivery of services to the city’s most vulnerable residents, while fostering inclusivity in a diverse demographic.

The new healthcare facility will provide services for the city’s indigent population in addition to being the local clinic for many in the adjacent, dense residential neighborhoods. Suited to compete with private health facilities, the innovative program includes an enhanced, transparent, “one-stop-shop” accessible approach to healthcare service delivery, prioritizing patient care.

Situated on a 3.75 acre site, on land formerly owned by the Agua Caliente Indians, the building is a resilient design, slated for LEED Certification, framed with drought-tolerant landscape; incorporating clean air, electric vehicle and long term bicycle parking, as well as 180 degree sweeping views, washing the public areas with daylight, extensive solar control systems and harvested daylight within interior areas.

The architecture features undulating planes of stone and glass, fitted with sunshades, solar louvers and motorized shade control systems, maximizing the value of natural light while minimizing heat gain and glare. Views of the desert landscape are visible from every elevation, connecting the facility to the community beyond.

Focusing on safety and security both on site and within the building, the clean lines, and transparent public entries, enhance visibility and access, while the neutral material and color palette, evokes the warmth and serenity of the natural desert landscape.

A coordinated wayfinding system, as well as automatic control systems and touchless access points, integrating both controlled and intuitive programs, are designed for easy navigation of public spaces to enhance the safe, secure and efficient patient experience. From signage to graphics, bold branding visually welcomes the diverse and inclusive clientele of the community.

The strategically-planned public space circulation, grounded by a centrally-located registration desk, promote clear communication, flexibility and access to various departments and services, while maintaining required patient privacy. Beyond the public spaces, efficient Medical Assistant Station “Pods” control patient and work flow, as service hubs to all departments.

The unique character of this building is expressly created to match its function and reflect the integrity and character of the population it serves, while its design resilience reflects the city's support of environmental stewardship. Through the design, we were compelled to honor and welcome a diverse public, integral to the Palm Springs regional landscape, with critical services. This is a community of people that will now have a place to call their own.