Design Guidelines

Just as the Firehouse Clinic concept is an innovation in health care delivery, the design and physical nature of the clinics should be reflective of the progressive ideals behind the program. The building’s articulation, indoor plan, and outdoor program should be innovative in their own right to best support the clinic’s mission to improve health outcomes and strengthen community.

The proposed example design reference is visually accessible, site responsive, and expands the functions of the clinic and its ability to integrate with the community beyond the walls of the structure. In addition to having an efficient, welcoming, and dignified look and feel, it works hard to have a neighborhood supportive program with places for kids to play, people to sit, enriching local landscaping, parking, bike parking, walkability, as well as accessibility to public transit. It has been designed as a socially and environmentally sustainable neighborhood asset available to all members of the community.

This example could be considered a prototype, a design reference for municipalities within and beyond Alameda County looking to use existing fire station sites as health portals. The following design guidelines illustrate how landscaping, natural light and other design elements can be used to further the goals of the Firehouse Clinic program.

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Site ConsiderationsThe entry to the clinic should be visually accessible from the street and separated from the entry to the fire station. Additionally, the clinic's activities should be separated from fire station maintenance areas. For more comprehensive information about site planning, see the Strategic Site Assessment Report.

Efficiency/Cost Effectiveness The design example utilizes double-loaded corridors for efficient space planning and construction. This layout yields the least circulation with the most usable space. The usage of a rain screen system on the facade allows for a universal structure or framing system that creates the simple and cost-effective rectangular form with a shaped roof.

Nature And Natural LightStudies in health care design link healing with natural light and views to nature. The design example includes exam rooms that look onto to a private viewing garden. A large skylight down the main corridor provides natural light to the clinic in addition to the large glazing windows in the exam rooms on the north side and the small translucent windows that allow for natural light in the offices on the south side of the clinic while maintaining privacy from the street. The glass entry makes for a naturally bright indoor waiting area that promotes fluidity with the outdoor waiting and landscaped areas.

Viewing Garden

Health & Wellness Orchard

Fire Station

Firehouse Clinic

Adjacent BuildingFire Station Parking& Maintenance

ClinicParking

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Waiting AreaThe design example provides programmed outdoor and indoor waiting areas to improve the waiting room experience, encourage waiting room retention rates, and connect the clinic to the community. The landscaped outdoor waiting area has seating and an area for kids to play. The indoor reception area includes a library space with educational materials about health care and computers with internet access for visitors to use to make appointments and sign up for health insurance with assistance from staff.

Clinic ExteriorThe goal of the clinic's street presence is to create a neighborhood serving civic institution that is visually accessible, inclusive, and dignified. The design example is locally responsive, allowing for

Integrated ParkingParking exists as a plaza condition so that it is a more flexible space. The pavers make it permeable so it handles water runoff better than and additionally not having as dark of a surface is better for heat island effect in urban areas. The bollards are intended to be big and clunky so that they can act as a seat.

Private Viewing Garden

Health & Wellness Orchard

Outdoor Waiting

Indoor Waiting

IntegratedParking

PlayArea

Skylight

Fire Station

different cladding options. The exterior materials shown in Exhibit A on the following page can be used to adapt the prototype to different contexts and climates. While the Firehouse Clinic should have a civic presence, it should also clearly differentiate itself from the tradition of the fire station.

Health & Wellness LandscapingLocal wellness based planting along the south side of the site include medicinal Ginko tress and Meyer lemon shrubs intended to be practical symbols that connect the clinic activities to the community.

Site Map

1 Trespa Tile2 Brick

1 2

43

3 Wood Horizontal4 Stucco

Exhibit B:Green RoofPlanting Options

1 2 3

1 Sedium2 Cacti3 Local Grasses

Exhibit A:Exterior Material Options

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Green RoofThe green roof helps treat stormwater runoff and control temperatures in the clinic. Three scenarios for green roofs are recommended depending upon setting, microclimate, soil depth and water usage:

1 Sedum mix for a uniform carpet in a formal urban setting, works in as little as 4” of soil depending upon available water.

2 Prickly pear cactus or agave for hot or inland areas, best with 9-12” of soil but requiring little water.

3 Sod roof consisting of native grasses for coastal northern California or informal areas, best with 9-12” of soil depth.

Front EntryThe glass entry makes for a naturally bright indoor waiting area that promotes fluidity with the outdoor waiting and landscaped areas. The outdoor waiting area has seating and an area for kids to play. The indoor reception area includes a library space with education materials about health care and Internet access for visitors to use to make appointments and sign up for health insurance with assistance from clinic staff.

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Rear ViewThe parking area is designed as a plaza condition so that it is a more flexible space. The pavers make it permeable so it handles water runoff and the light surface color is better for heat island effect in urban areas. The bollards are intended to be big and clunky so that they can act as a seat. To the right are exam rooms that look onto to a private viewing garden to promote a calming, healing environment.

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Street ViewLocal wellness based planting along the south side of the site include medicinal Ginko tress and Meyer lemon shrubs intended to be practical sym-bols that connect the clinic activities to the com-munity. The design example has its own identity that is related to but not in competition with the adjacent fire station. Clinics that are co-located on fire stations sites should a civic presence but must clearly differentiate themselves from the tradition

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Firehouse Clinic Design Guidelines were made possible through support from:Alameda County Health Care Services AgencyBlue Shield of California FoundationCalifornia HealthCare FoundationAlameda County Fire DepartmentHayward Fire DepartmentTiburcio Vasquez Health Center

Prepared by:Public Architecture

Design Services provided by: WRNS StudioGLS Landscape ArchitectureMendeDesign