Work at Browne McGregor Architects continues uninterrupted although now from remote locations. Our staff has worked remotely on-and-off for the past several years – mostly to accommodate those with long commutes and/or sick children to be overseen at home. The current crisis is our first opportunity to try out remote work at full scale. So far, it’s been going quite smoothly. Perhaps our biggest concern about the work-from-home arrangement is collaboration which is a big part of the architectural design process. However, the current video conferencing, instant messaging and collaborative software tools seem to largely overcome the absence of in-person interactions. And now that we are relying on these tools, it’s forcing all of us to become fully proficient in their use. We hope to emerge from the crisis better able to serve our clients in both face-to-face and in virtual delivery of architectural services.
Although a few of our projects have been placed on hold before starting construction, we have many others either under construction or still in design. Those under construction include The Lind Institute of Plastic Surgery at Harmony Commons in Spring, Texas. The roughly 10,000 square foot facility, designed for accreditation by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), is one of many such facilities that BMA has either completed, has in design, or has under construction.
Lind Institute of Plastic Surgery – Under Construction
Plastic surgeons, like architects, are detail and aesthetically oriented and consequently make for rewarding clients. Our recently completed project for Dr. Sugene Kim is an excellent example of the collaboration between client and architect required for a successful project. The 10,000 square foot SGK Plastic Surgery contains consult and treatment rooms, a spa, and two operating rooms. The surgery facilities are designed to comply with facility construction requirements for AAAASF accreditation.
SGK Plastic Surgery – Recently Completed
Dr. Kim brought very clear ideas about her goals down to the smallest detail which she communicated to the design team. Although it was our first project with Dr. Kim, the design team benefited from the inclusion of Interior Designer, Trish Miller, who had worked previously with the doctor on her residence and prior office build-out. The new building represented an inspiring challenge for the entire design team and was an important step in Dr. Kim’s career with the chance to create a permanent home for her successful practice.
SGK Plastic Surgery – View of Lobby
The exterior design for the building honors Everson Developments’ previously established material palette while creating a welcoming presence and luxurious sense of care. Entering through a ceremonial portal and under Dr. Kim’s scripted logo, brings patients and visitors into a “Spa Oasis” with a custom chandelier over the reception desk and carefully placed windows with views into the flanking gardens to establish an indoor/outdoor connection. Clerestory windows provide soft illumination throughout the lobby and main reception areas.
SGK Plastic Surgery – View of Exam Room
Other members of the project team included structural engineering by Fractal LLC and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering by CFI Companies. As always in medical facilities, close coordination and attention to detail by the architect and engineer were very important to the project’s success as were the first-class construction services of SPD Construction.
For further information about the SGK project or other examples of BMA’s work please feel free to contact us anytime, and please feel free to share this blog with friends and colleagues who may be interested. In the meantime, best wishes for your continued success and for meeting the COVID-19 challenge of socially distant but virtually near collaboration.
Sincerely,
Browne McGregor Architects, Inc.
