Southwest Breast and Aesthetics

Southwest Breast and Aesthetics (SWBA) is an atypical doctor’s office for women, whose business is primarily focused on breast reconstruction for breast cancer patients. The goal of this project is for patients to experience an atmosphere of light and hope.

Plastic surgeons are typically the second doctor visited after diagnosis, usually with loved ones for support, and patients seek care for 18-24 months. This 3,240 sf space was selected for its ground level corner location, its tall volume with light, views, frontage on a major east-west arterial (Camelback Road) and opposite a Marriott AC Hotel, convenient for patients and families from out-of-town/state.

The plan is a secure counter-clockwise circulatory route that prioritizes access to abundant light along the north/east shaded curtain walls. Both plan, section and materiality maximize and amplify the abundant light and volume found on the initial site visit to create an enveloping atmosphere of safety, comfort and inclusion. Acoustic privacy and clarity of speech in both private/public spaces were top considerations. An acoustic curtain of color separates first visit and office circulation from follow-up visits, wherein the former routes patients to the normal “corner office,” which is reserved for the first doctor consultation.

In the center of the plan are support spaces fronted by an entry/exit wall of light. The 13’ high section utilizes given volume to the maximum extent, directing the peripheral northeast light into offices, and consultation/exam rooms and further inward through 5’ high glass clerestories onto the circulation route with medical assistant work areas. A strong 8’ high datum of quarter-inch steel plate rings the peripheral private spaces incorporating acoustic doors and canted glass clerestories to reduce acoustic reverberation. All materiality is chosen to extend and amplify the available light enveloping each patient’s journey and infusing it with hope.