Abrazo Medical Plaza

This project converts a 50,000-square-foot multiplex movie theater, built in the 1980s, into a medical center. Most of the work went into department planning against the site: arrival, patient mobility, primary and secondary parking, and service access.

Keeping as much of the existing CMU structure as possible drove the design. The 12-foot corridor and many load-bearing walls became the primary circulation. The main entry was replaced with one that is easy to find for patients in distress, and smart glazing blocks the late-afternoon sun in the urgent-care waiting area.

To cut energy demand and use the southwest winds, wind towers with evaporative pads funnel cooled air down their shafts and move it through the corridor below. Leveled parapets give the old box a quieter, more modern profile.