The Clinic for Plastic Surgery, located at the apex of Aesthetic Circle and overlooking the Sylvan Rodriguez Park in the Clear Lake area of Houston, is the most recent aesthetic medicine facility designed by Browne McGregor Architects (BMA) and is the new home for Dr. Sam Sukkar’s renowned practice.

The two-story, 18,800 square foot building occupies a 3.5-acre site that is flanked by separate parking lots for Clinic & Spa clients and for Surgical patients.  The main approach to the building is on axis with the two-story, stone clad, stair tower with decoratively patterned window.  The Clinic & Spa entrance, with its soaring canopy, passes by a “secret garden” overlooked by the Spa rooms on the second floor.

From there one enters a double height lobby serving the adjacent Clinic and connecting to the Spa above. The remainder of the first floor contains a licensed Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) with two Operating Rooms and supporting patient care areas.   The ASC has dedicated waiting and reception areas, as well as a discreet discharge vestibule for post-operative patients.

The building structure consists of concrete, tilt-wall panels with an interior steel frame.  The tilt-wall panels are clad with a thin-set limestone base and finished with a textured paint above.   The thin-set stone extends the full height of the two-story tower containing the monumental stair.   All south facing windows have sunscreens to filter direct rays and conserve energy.

BMA provided full architectural and interior design services for the selection and specification of interior finishes as well as the consulting services of the civil, structural and MEP engineers and of the landscape architect.  Dr. Sukkar and his family and staff were integral members of the design team and sought to create a state-of-the-art facility and timeless design throughout.

Special Collaborations

Most projects that we are privileged to design have a collaborative team of Owner, Architect, and Contractor. This project was most interesting, as the owner brought many vibrant ideas to the table during the design process that enrich their own client’s experience coming to, entering in, and proceeding through the project spaces.  These include the client experience of approaching the building at the end of a cul-de-sac street, entering the spacious, groomed property, and walking under the covered entrance canopy to the peaceful garden space adjacent to the front door. Once a client enters the naturally lit two story clinic lobby, they are faced with the reception desk and a grand spiral stair leading from the clinic level up to the Spa on level two. The radiused stair is centered on an LED lit column of mylar strings carrying down a water drip fountain from the ceiling. This fiber column leads down to a rock basin and adds to the welcoming and calming experience.

Medical Office physicians often get only one chance in their careers to build a facility like this. This was an opportunity for Dr. Sukkar to enhance the functionality of his workplace and to create an unusually client-focused experience through intentional architectural design.

Browne McGregor Architects was honored to be a part of this project and applauds our client and the whole design team for faithfully executing on Dr. Sukkar’s vision.

Thanks to:

Photography:                                    Geoffrey Lyon

General Contractor:                        O’Donnell Snider Construction

Structural Engineering:                 Dally + Associates

MEP Engineering:                           Spectrum Design Engineers

Landscape Architecture:                Wong & Associates

Civil Engineering:                            Jarvis Civil Engineering

FF&E:                                                 Dax Design Studios

Medical Equipment:                        Surgery Center Services of America