Cambridge, Mass – The Marino Center has opened its doors to its completely renovated 13,500
sq.ft., three-story facility located at 2500 Massachusetts Avenue. Founded in 1993 by Les Marino,
The Marino Center for Integrative Health is a regional primary care leader providing an integrative
model of healthcare at two locations in Cambridge and Wellesley. HDS Architecture was the
Project Architect. The Glendale Group of Peabody, MA was the Construction Manager and
General Contractor.
New Design: HDS conducted an initial physical feasibility analysis to confirm that the existing
building could accommodate Marino’s operational and program requirements. Completely new
circulation patterns and interior space layouts were created. In addition, the new design had to
comply with Department of Public Health (DPH) design requirements for certification. Rui
Mendez, Marino Center, Cambridge Practice Manager says, “The new facility has created a more
comfortable patient environment. Areas are much better defined, making it easier to direct
patients.” HDS took advantage of every opportunity to connect internal patient areas with the
outdoors. Hans Strauch, AIA, HDS’s Principal-in-Charge says, “Our goal was to create a physical
design that reflected and enhanced the Marino Center’s mission for patient care.” On-the-Move
Interiors provided interior design consulting for colors, finishes and furniture. Feng-Shui
consulting was provided by Linda Varone.
Design Build Collaboration and Phased Construction: A tight schedule for design and
construction required close collaboration between the owner, architect and the builder. The
Glendale Group provided the budget, schedule and phasing plan that defined the process. Nick
Hall, Glendale Group Senior Project Manager says, “This project was riddled with complexities
directly associated with the owner’s requirement to keep the facility fully operational during
construction.” Changing out all of the building systems (MEP/FP/TelData) while keeping the
healthcare center operational required a great deal of pre-planning and investigation into how the
existing building was serviced. The result turned out to be a successful project delivered within
both the time allotted and the allocated budget, without any major disruptions to the healthcare
facilities daily operations.
Completed Facility: Today the Marino Center’s flagship Cambridge facility is able to fully
support Marino’s health and wellness mission. What was once an architecturally nondescript
primary care facility is now a warm and friendly environment that enables staff to better focus on
patient needs. Dr. Anne McCaffrey, Marino Center’s Medical Director says, “It is such a wonderful
and welcoming new space for our patients. It is also uplifting for the staff. We take pride in our
unique model of care delivery, and now our building reflects the quality of care we deliver.”