By Andy Tinucci / Special to Healthcare Facilities Today

Opened in 2015, Medical Dermatology Associates of Chicago is a newly formed medical practice that is revitalizing the doctor-patient relationship through careful, considerate design.

Built into a timber loft in the city’s busy River North neighborhood, Medical Dermatology Associates of Chicago offers a 5,500-square-foot respite from its hectic outdoor surroundings, creating an urban oasis for patient care that balances high tech with high touch.

By exploring a series of material and circulation layers within the design, the structure serves to improve patient flow from the moment a person walks through the door of the practice through their private consultation to their subsequent exit. Spaces are layered sequentially from public to private, creating separate and efficient circulation loops for patients and for doctors that have a calming and comforting effect. 

Throughout the space, plank floors and gently curved paneled walls envelop patients in warm natural materials in soft contrast to the existing white-painted timber frame and ceiling of the building. Baltic birch plywood is layered into an entry millwork element that acts as both circulation cue and showcase for the doctors’ custom skin-care products. A veil of white translucent shades heals the disorder of a random array of utilitarian windows facing the backs of warehouses across a narrow alley, creating a soothing bath of soft daylight for waiting patients. 

Once through the frosted glass threshold of the waiting area, patients enter through a main corridor that becomes a primary element in their visit. Cove lighting draws them through the space while magnetic metal panels animate each exam room entry and provides the armature for signage, allowing for easy navigation through the space.

By presenting surroundings that are both highly functional and inherently soothing, Medical Dermatology Associates of Chicago has taken the confusion and coldness often associated with visiting a doctor and in turn given its patient base an engaging venue for restoration and renewed health.

Andy Tinucci, AIA, LEED AP, is a Principal at Woodhouse Tinucci Architects in Chicago.