Providence, RI – Providence Community Health Centers is changing the face of South Providence. This summer it opened a new 42,000sf health center on a 3.5 acre site. The existing buildings had been empty for years, the site was a brownfield, and the neighborhood was desperate for change. Providence Community Health Centers and Vision 3 Architects are creating that change by designing a sustainable campus dedicated to improving the health of the community.
The Health Center is the first phase of the campus development and is made up of a two story addition to two existing historic buildings. The buildings were once part of the Federated Lithographers Company, a printing company that opened in 1905. On the opposite side of the site are the buildings that made up the Beaman & Smith company, a heavy machine manufacturer that opened in 1898. The Beaman & Smith building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is undergoing a restoration and renovation that will provide 55,000sf of medical and dental office space. Also planned for the site is a new 5,000sf retail pharmacy building that will support the two medical buildings and the neighboring community.
The new Prairie Avenue Health Center has been designed to U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver standards. Many of the sustainable features of the project came from the site itself. The project is located in a dense, urban community, and was a previously developed brownfield site. Patients and staff are encouraged to bike or take public transportation to the Health Center, that is served by three bus lines. Preferred parking spaces are assigned for low-emitting fuel vehicles. Providence Community Health Centers was awarded a Narragansett Bay Commission award for the design of the storm water system, which captures and treats 100% of the storm water on site.
The re-use of the existing building shell helped the Health Center to maintain an aesthetic connection to the neighborhood while rehabilitating an historic structure, and limiting the amount of demolition waste brought to landfills. Many of the historic qualities of the existing buildings are celebrated in the exterior and interior design of the project. Exterior and interior masonry walls were restored to their original condition, the heavy timber structure and plank decking were cleaned and are exposed to many of the interior public spaces and the buildings’ original window openings that had been blocked over for many years have been reopened to flood the interior spaces with natural daylight. A daylight harvesting system takes full advantage of the natural light to minimize light fixture use.
The exterior design of the new addition contrasts and compliments the existing buildings. The addition features a horizontal curtain wall of clear and frosted glass framed with anodized aluminum framing and solar shades. The sand colored concrete block and patina green metal panels provide an appropriate contrast in color to the existing buildings. The addition’s three story vertical brick stair tower ties the addition and the existing buildings together and helps anchor the health center to the site.
The materials used for the interior of the health center were selected because they would contribute to a healthy environment for patients and staff. All of the paints, sealants, wood products and furniture meet high standards for improving the indoor air quality of the building. Steps were taken during construction to protect the mechanical system, and air quality tests were performed prior to occupancy to ensure that the building is a healthy place to work and visit.
The new Health Center has 45 exam rooms and includes pediatric, internal medicine, ob/gyn, urgent care, behavioral health, and specialty clinics. Providence Community Health Centers is the largest community health provider in Rhode Island Serving over 35,000 patients a year.
LEED initiatives include reduced “heat Islands” through the use of white TPO Roofing; 40% water use reduction by use of low flow fixtures; expected energy savings: 20% below ASHRAE standards; recycled 100% non-hazardous construction debris; 80% FSC certified wood-base products; 27% recycled content; low voc materials, products and furniture; 16% regional materials and 100% of storm water captured and treated on site.
Vision 3 Architects is a nationally recognized architectural and interior design firm headquartered in Providence that offers creative design solutions to corporate office, education, healthcare and hospitality clients