Kirksey Architecture completed the design for Legacy Community Health‘s Fifth Ward Clinic located in Houston, Texas.

Legacy Community Health is located in the historic Fifth Ward of Houston, dubbed a “health care desert” by local media for the community’s location in an under-served part of Houston. The team at Legacy offers affordable, high-quality healthcare to low-income patients and was experiencing rapid growth with a need to expand. The two-story clinic features a full pharmacy, lab, OBGYN and pediatrics unit, general practice, dental suite, vision suite, behavioral health suite and 20+ exam rooms.

With a limited budget funded by grants, the design team paid careful attention to detail and executed solutions to increase efficiency for both the clinic staff and their patients, while also putting a focus on community art and bold colors to achieve dramatic results.

To increase staff efficiency and reduce “path of travel” time, the design team implemented on-stage/off-stage workflow with two points of entry/exit into patient exam rooms. This results in better communication between the clinical team, allows more patient privacy, and most importantly, reduces medical errors.

Colors and bold graphics play an important role in wayfinding (different colors are used to identify different service lines), and moveable furniture is more family-friendly for patients in waiting areas. The large staircase in the two-story lobby helps improve traffic flow, while offering an inviting and colorful welcome to the second floor.

For the exterior of the building, the client worked with local Houston artist Reginald Adams who was commissioned to design the colorful wall mural. Tiny tiles for the intricate stone mosaic were created by staff and community members, continuing to tie the space in with the surrounding community.

Innovative design solutions were incorporated to save on cost and square footage, resulting in a beautiful new space for the community and a more modern, inviting clinic. The project is LEED Certified.

Architect: Kirksey Architecture
Contractor: Harvey Builders
Photography: Joe Aker, Aker Imaging