Mountain Park Health Center

Group: Camilla Rojas and Kaitlynn Le

The Gateway Center location holistically works to provide an affordable all-in-one healthcare service, with goals of serving, sustaining, and improving the local Phoenix community.

Our team goals were to facilitate rest, trust, compassion, and a feeling of togetherness through the design of the layout and community access. The symbolism of the desert ironwood tree as plant that represents the binding of spirits and community, translates both the goals of the project and the values of Mountain Park as a client. The desert ironwood is one of the largest and oldest plants native to the Southwest Sonoran Desert and serves as a “nurse plant,” giving nutrients to more than 500 desert creatures and plants. The Mountain Park Health Center design employs the color palette and system of community support of the desert ironwood to connect all users to a thoughtful healing experience.

The galvanized steel shade and partition structures with ironwood bark patterned perforation create an indoor garden effect while also providing shade at all times of day to regulate the interior temperature.

Custom casework lines the glazing with openings for modular Knoll sofas to be installed and easily accessed for cleaning and overall maintenance.

During the design process it was important to our team to maintain a sight line to exterior nature in hallways to promote mental health and improve lighting. Flooring materials distinguish each zone.

The collaborative relationship of the MA provider and doctor teams is supported by a system of private office rooms and open workstations. Each private office room has additional access to outdoor lighting.

Mountain Park needed the ability to use outdoor space for both medical staff to recharge and socially connect. Our team created a patio on both levels with visual privacy, acoustical materials, and soft seating.

For the overall wellness of the patients, we cleared a direct path to an outdoor garden from the public lobby space. The elevator and staircase are also positioned to view the garden as you travel between levels.