Boundless

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BOUNDLESS

When curiosity meets capability, the opportunities are boundless. At EYP, we’re curious, so we ask questions — bold, messy, sometimes outrageous questions — because we want to partner with our clients to discover solutions for their needs and the world’s most pressing challenges. When the right questions are matched with the right expertise, we can accomplish amazing things like making the world healthier, smarter, safer, and more sustainable. We can go beyond what’s expected — breaking down barriers to move society forward. Boundless is a state of mind — an attitude that can transform the world.

Boundless thinking doesn’t happen in a silo. Our endeavors don’t squarely fit into distinct markets, services, or building types. We are a community of interdisciplinary designers, working together without boundaries, leveraging every individual’s expertise, passion, and creativity. From architecture and engineering to human resources and financing, everyone is an essential part of our creative process. By inviting diverse perspectives, synthesizing experiences, and considering the entire context of a project, we can challenge assumptions and reimagine program, performance, and place. This interdisciplinary approach offers more — more curiosity, talent, rigor, and energy to innovate and co-create something new — exploring possibilities in ways that lead to breakthroughs.

For 50 years, curiosity about the future and our clients’ visions, missions, and values has been at the core of our process. Each client relationship brings more opportunities for learning and exploration, leading to “ah-ha” moments like our team experienced at Grinnell College. While designing Grinnell College’s Humanities and Social Studies Center, we discovered a metaphor for our design approach — the ecotone. An ecotone is a transitional area between biological communities, where two biomes meet and integrate, forming some of the most vibrant, vital places on earth.

Ecotones are curious areas where ecologies are in tension, experiencing the push and pull that feeds adaptation and evolution. The outcome of this tension goes beyond blending two habitats; ecotones often boast distinct species and

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Opposite: Humanities and Social Studies Center, Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA

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roots

EYP’s Golden Anniversary has amplified the desire to understand our firm’s past and its deep values and history — the taproots that help define who we are today. As much as “roots” refers to the life-sustaining portion of a plant, it also has meaning in disciplines like music, mathematics, computers, and linguistics. In all cases, “root” refers to a basis or origin, offering a compelling framework for thinking about our connections to people and places. By examining our beginnings, we understand our past and shed light on our culture. We explore five decades of memorable projects that nurtured communities, shaped skylines, and pushed boundaries. Roots shares the story of multiple firms that came together to create EYP.

Founded in 1972 in Albany, New York, EYP has grown organically and strategically by serving new clients, developing leading-edge expertise, pursuing successful mergers, and expanding geographic reach. For more than 40 years, the firm was a powerhouse in modernization and innovative design in the higher education, government, science, and energy markets. Then, EYP merged with two leading healthcare firms — Watkins Hamilton Ross (WHR) and Stanley Beaman & Sears (SBS) — each as unique as the individuals that shaped them. The blending of these firms’ histories and cultures led to an interdisciplinary design firm of over 450 people with 11 offices nationwide. The story of EYP is not a straight line. Twists and turns shape the firm’s narrative. It begins like many start-ups — with two people, a bold vision, a little luck, and hard work.

EINHORN YAFFEE PRESCOTT: THE START-UP

On Monday mornings, Steve Einhorn and Eric Yaffee, friends since elementary school, would prop against their makeshift sawhorse desks in a small office in Albany. Tackling the week’s finances and business development plans, neither left the room until they updated each other on the latest family news and agreed on every business decision, large or small. This people-first, collaborative mentality was the foundation of what would become EYP.

Like most start-ups, Einhorn Yaffee Architects’ early work was a variety of small projects — renovations, offices, and restaurants. Steve and Eric saw each job as an opportunity to build long-term client trust, leading to larger endeavors. In 1972, two projects set the stage for the future: a small veterinary clinic that won an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Design Award and the modernization of Quackenbush House, the oldest surviving Dutch urban structure in the country.

Quackenbush House, Andy Prescott’s first project after joining the firm, served as the team’s entrée into historic preservation and modernization. Steve and Eric’s introduction to Andy happened serendipitously when a client asked them to find a property suitable to convert into a doctor’s office. One of the properties they toured was Andy’s home, and when the pair noticed his drafting table, it sparked a conversation about architecture that led to the formation of their partnership as Einhorn Yaffee Prescott. Before the decade was over, the firm had hired 30 employees.

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EYP Founders | Andrew Prescott, Eric Yaffee, and Steven Einhorn Albany Veterinary Clinic | Albany, NY

The Lincoln Memorial | Washington, D.C.

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Adamsville Regional Health Center

FULTON COUNTY | ATLANTA, GEORGIA

HEALTH AND WELLNESS EQUITY

Far from a one-size-fits-all approach, the needs of a particular area should inform a local health center’s services and strategies. The Adamsville Regional Health Center in Fulton County, Georgia, is a holistic wellness center addressing the healthcare and social needs of an economically challenged urban neighborhood on Atlanta’s west side, offering medical care on a sliding scale. Prominently sited at Interstates 20 and 285, the building borders Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, a major arterial thoroughfare, and is easily accessible by car, public transportation, or on foot.

The median household income in the Adamsville area was 60% less than the rest of Fulton County, so Adamsville asked EYP to create a health clinic that would improve access to affordable healthcare, create a beacon for the community, and empower residents.

From the planning stages, the architects involved residents in monthly neighborhood meetings about programs and design, provided local employment and subcontracting opportunities, and held steering committee updates and user-group workshops.

Operated by the Fulton County Public Health Department, the Adamsville Center combines a primary care clinic, behavioral health clinic, dental clinic, and workforce community center under one roof, making visits convenient and economical for patients. A central, two-story lobby and connecting stair guides visitors to various departments, and a drop-in childcare center offers support for visiting parents and families.

Outside, a dramatically cantilevered roof increases the facility’s visibility, and the quilt-like exterior metal paneling — inspired by the paintings of Atlanta artist, Radcliffe Bailey — celebrates the area’s cultural roots, further connecting the clinic to the community.

Since its opening, the center has alleviated overcrowding at Atlanta’s public safety-net hospital’s emergency department and fostered a sense of community with outside benches, a walking trail, and a community garden — encouraging exercise and teaching sound nutrition.

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College of Health Professions Building

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY | RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

A NEXUS FOR COLLABORATION

How do you prepare students to excel in their chosen healthcare fields? By creating a flexible educational environment that drives interprofessional teamwork, cuttingedge technology, and innovative instruction. Virginia Commonwealth University offers all three in the new College of Health Professions Building.

A nexus for collaboration, the facility unites 11 health education departments under one roof, combining their strengths into a flexible, interprofessional education community. Students, faculty, and researchers work side-by-side, learn from one another, and focus on delivering the best patient-centered care possible.

Robust high-touch technology is the heartbeat of this eight-story tower. Walk into the simulated hospital and watch the nursing students practice on a patient simulator. Or, stop by the smart-home apartment on the second floor to observe therapy students learning how to support individuals with limited mobility. In the Engineering and Biomechanics Research Lab, students and faculty research, create, and test healthcare devices to serve their communities better. Technology-rich experiential learning is everywhere.

The predominantly glass exterior puts these high-tech highlights on display. The vertical connections of the classrooms, laboratories, double-height collaboration areas, and faculty office clusters create collision zones and touchpoints for faculty and students, reinforcing the university’s goal of interprofessional connections.

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Humanities and Social Studies Center

GRINNELL COLLEGE | GRINNELL, IOWA

B LENDING THE OLD AND THE NEW

What’s possible when you combine 15 humanities departments into one location? Interdisciplinary magic!

At Grinnell College’s Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC), economics coexists with political science, and classical languages are taught alongside history and sociology. The heart of all these disciplines is the intersection of four pavilions — two new and two renovated — joined by a three-story atrium with connecting bridges. This new structure embraces Alumni Recitation Hall, creating a central, light-filled courtyard that looks toward the future of liberal arts education while respecting the heritage of one of Grinnell’s most treasured landmarks.

Gone are the days of teachers lecturing and students listening. The HSSC embraces the possibilities of a 21st century learning experience. Students and professors begin the day by walking together along the atrium bridge, enjoying the morning light from the clerestory windows. Class convenes in the historic Alumni Recitation Hall, now fully integrated with modern technology. Students will soon head to the learning laboratories for smallgroup breakouts where they’ll use online tools to work with peers at other institutions. Between classes, they’ll meet up and head to semi-private breakout spaces for project work — fostering the intellectual collisions that enrich a student’s education.

With inclusion in mind, EYP partnered with the Institute for Human Centered Design to examine how the team’s approach could go beyond responding to ADA requirements and move toward designing for the broadest possible spectrum of users. The team carefully considered users’ flow through the building to enable equitable experiences, including vertical movement by providing more elevators and locating them close to the main staircases. The design offers sensitive approaches to controlling glare and acoustics and reimagines restrooms to create all-gender spaces.

The HSSC makes possible an inclusive teaching and learning experience attuned to emerging research, technology, and collaboration while honoring Grinnell’s tradition of excellence in education.

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Alief Neighborhood Center

CITY OF HOUSTON | HOUSTON, TEXAS

BIGGEST FRONT PORCH IN TEXAS

A suburb in Southwest Harris County, Texas, the Alief community is the most diverse neighborhood in one of the country’s most diverse cities. To meet this unique area’s needs, the Alief Neighborhood Center is the first facility in Houston intentionally designed to incorporate a health center, library, and community center into one facility.

The new, 70,000-square-foot facility and renovated park are home to after-school and summer-enrichment programs, youth recreation leagues, and activities for seniors. The public library provides access to books and technology. The center houses a Women, Infants, and Children clinic and expands Houston Health Department’s Diabetes and Wellness Network.

Community engagement was critical to understanding what makes Alief unique and how best to address local needs. Conceived as a result of extensive outreach conversations, the campus brings vital public health programs to the neighborhood and serves every age group, showcasing amenities such as music and video makerspaces, art room, fitness center, swimming pool, recreational fields, and nature trails. Families can gather in a foodtruck area for weekend markets or listen to music on the event lawn. Students “catch air” at the Skate Park and sprint up Mount Alief, the up-hill running track.

Featuring the “Biggest Front Porch in Texas” — a large, covered porch that serves as a gathering place for people to come together and share ideas — the center gives expression to the diverse community unique to Alief. From the porch, visitors are welcomed by a floor-to-ceiling glass entry lobby that frames views of the park and reinforces a strong relationship between interior and exterior activities.

Raised out of the floodplain, the Alief Neighborhood Center is a model for resilient design in a post-Hurricane Harvey environment — a respite for those seeking shelter and a long-awaited nucleus for the Alief neighborhood.

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Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute

The Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute brings together the two most respected orthopedic and sports medicine practices in Central Florida: The Jewett Orthopedic Clinic and Orlando Health. This best-in-class facility is the go-to orthopedic institute for professional and collegiate athletes, the elderly, and children, attracting patients regionally and internationally for inpatient and outpatient care.

As one of the only orthopedic-specific hospitals in the Southeast, the Orlando Health “center of excellence” offers unparalleled comfort and ease for patients from arrival through departure.

Here, the best surgeons and practitioners treat injuries to the musculoskeletal system, inspiring the facility’s angled facade that represents a runner in motion. Inside, solar-mitigating elements mimic the rhythm of the skeletal system. Other features, such as angled walls in the Medical Office Building, highlight the anatomy and physiology of movement.

Emphasizing fast and efficient service, a centrally located diagnostic center provides immediate results for physicians and patients. Seventy-five inpatient rooms offer exceptional views of the city, and the center showcases 22 operating suites, five of which are virtually connected for training surgeons worldwide. The facility is also home to 167,000 square feet of medical office space.

Working efficiently like the staff and caregivers inside, the building boasts highperformance design elements. Glazing, sun screening, and utility programming work together to achieve 29% energy savings over the ASHRAE 90.1 – 2013 baseline model. Best-in-class care housed in a best-in-class facility helps Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute offer you a “next-generation orthopedic partnership.”

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NEW CENTRAL STATE HOSPITAL

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES | PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA

TRANSFORMING WELLNESS

The new Central State Hospital reflects Virginia’s focus on providing high-quality, recovery-based treatment in behavioral health. By prioritizing safety, flexibility, and dignity, EYP’s design supports wellness and security with 252 beds, serving civil and maximum-security needs.

Building off Central’s centuries-old legacy, EYP designed a cohesive facility to modernize inpatient care within a single campus. Natural and biophilic elements were integrated into every living space, providing users with outdoor views in each room. Double-height common rooms and ample glazing cultivate a warm and friendly environment.

An expansive entryway featuring ambient light and high ceilings offers a welcoming space, while small-group rooms provide open-concept areas that enhance interpersonal connections. The team pioneered a “three-tier” organization of psychiatric patient spaces, featuring five “Program Communities,” a collection of common areas and counseling rooms serving as an additional middle-ground option between the 18-to-28 patient living units and the two large treatment malls.

Keeping staff in mind, the team designed for passive observation by providing clear sightlines throughout patient spaces and to critical doors from defined observation points. Layouts allowing easy observation of historically problematic areas, like dining rooms, help minimize the risk of incidents. And generous corridor widths and ceiling heights reduce safety concerns while enhancing the feeling of wellbeing.

The campus’ safe outdoor spaces cultivate therapeutic recreational opportunities, offering a variety of amenities and diverse pursuits, from game-centered activities to more contemplative courtyards with meditative gardens.

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FUSE at Mason Square

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

SHAPING A DIGITAL CAMPUS

Fifteen thousand computer science and engineering graduates in two decades! That’s what George Mason University committed to in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program.

Dedicated to creating the next generation of Northern Virginia’s technology workforce, Fuse at Mason Square will house graduate-level education and interdisciplinary research in a broad range of programs, including computing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity, among others.

Transparency, openness, and connectivity drove the development of the proposed design intended to physically and visually welcome students, educators, entrepreneurs, industry partners, and the community.

Conceived as a series of vertical neighborhoods stacked throughout the structure, Fuse’s design creates a “Main Street” or collaboration spine on each floor with a wide pathway that encourages spontaneous connections between Mason and industry partners. Cross-pollination zones also support a mixing-bowl approach to programming — intentionally interweaving Mason’s programs with partners’ spaces on every floor — encouraging connection and teamwork.

Each floor offers a loft-lab or deep lab block with column-free structural bays that meet educational and workplace needs by accommodating large classrooms and open and private offices. And a Specialty Lab core — located on multiple floors — offers a centralized resource of advanced research spaces.

Creating a marquee environment for Mason and industry partners, Fuse boasts open spaces filled with daylight and access to outdoor areas at multiple levels. From the inside out and outside in, you’ll discover dynamic learning, research, and innovation space, bolstering Mason’s efforts to recruit and retain the best and brightest.

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