NO/AIDS Task Force received a major grant from the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services for the provision of high quality, patient-centered healthcare for underserved neighborhoods. The client obtained space in the old Marine Building in New Orleans to fulfill this grant. However, the building had housed office space since 1958 and the space would need a complete overhaul.

We focused the design around a "tree of life" theme, with a large mural of a live oak tree with its spreading roots at the ground floor reception area. Natural materials, leaves and flowers are featured sandwiched in resin panels for use as dividers and accents throughout. A cloud recalling tree branches hovers over the waiting area. Light boxes are used at reception desks to draw the eye and provide direction as an alternate form of way-finding. The facility includes clinic, exam and lab spaces, a pharmacy, behavioral health consult rooms, a healthy living classroom and demonstration kitchen, and administrative areas. The new Crescent Care Health Clinic now serves a high need population in a space that feels welcoming and wellness-focused—more like a spa than a doctor's office.