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The office is located in downtown Vancouver. The main challenge
for this project was to separate private
Government office area and public
spaces mainly for
four medical offices
and labs, while at the same time allowing
all of them the best possible views. All service connections had to remain at
the same locations as existing, which governed locations for all spaces
requiring water and plumbing. Elevators governed the location of
entrance area.
The best views were NW and NE, with NE being slightly more favorable.
It was decided that the best location for
Government offices is at the NW corner
of the plan for two reasons: the best views, and privacy. In order for all
offices and majority of booths to have at least some views through windows,
walls are mostly designed as low partitions. Next to the offices, on the North side
and NE corner, there are
directors and managers offices with a Board Room, with
the best views and in connection to both private and public area.
In order for medical staff to get required high design treatment, doctors are
located along the east wall, closest to the North side, with the
management offices and
medical rooms rotated 40 degrees so that all have some views toward NW. Since it
was not possible to give them ideal locations because of Government staff
priority, but to still keep them feel special, the
entrances into their offices
and medical rooms are treated in a more attractive way. This was also helped by
the above-mentioned angle of walls, and it gave a special character to the whole
medical waiting area.
Another main design feature is circulation. After entering the space by
elevators there is a general waiting area along a curved wall with a form that
leads visitors deeper into the space. Going through medical waiting area,
visitors have a different feel of space with many interesting features in
treatments of walls, floors and ceiling. Next, there is a slightly emphasized
space of the waiting area for
Manager and Director offices, with a curved wall
again, leading visitors and staff to the next area. The
office corridor extends
and circles around booths rotated the same angle as medical rooms, relating this
space to the medical area, giving the design needed coherency.
This project was shown at the gallery of
AIBC
in 2000, together with Pedalwheeler
House and Cypress
Court. |