Alda Ly Architecture was tasked with the job of designing a space to match the work being done at Parsley Health’s NYC Flagship Center in New York City, New York.

Biophilia refers to humankind’s innate connection with nature, and over the last four decades, studies have proven that integrating biophilia into the designed environment improves occupant well-being. For Parsley Health’s new flagship center in New York, Alda Ly Architecture (ALA) deployed the principles of biophilic design in an urban medical office.

Parsley Health is a disruptive high-tech practice, which combines cutting-edge diagnostic testing with nutrition and lifestyle interventions. From its launch in 2016, the membership-based primary care provider operated from WeWork locations in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. For its first permanent office, Parsley asked ALA to express its holistic, preventative approach to healthcare in 5,500 square feet.

The flagship opened in January 2019 and today encompasses coaching and exam rooms, member lounge with cafe, diagnostic testing lab, and administrative offices on the second floor of a 115-year-old Fifth Avenue tower. ALA’s design embodies biophilia from the moment it greets Parsley members. A reception desk fabricated from environmentally friendly Ceasarstone and white oak guides visitors and patients to the plant- and daylight-filled member lounge, where they may
wait for an appointment from the comfort of naturally finished furniture or participate in cooking classes in the cafe. The east-west main corridor, which connects the lounge to the branching exam-room hallways, frames a small tree illuminated by circular stone focal point and considered lighting design so that members may navigate the interior with comfort and safety—a biophilic concept known as Prospect. Lighting was selected to positively impact circadian rhythms.

In all, the Parsley space incorporates the 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design, as defined in the well- known study by Terrapin Bright Green to ensure functionality and user comfort. By mimicking nature in ways shown to improve mood and cognitive performance, the ALA scheme participates in Parsley’s holistic, preventative approach to healthcare as much as it reflects that mission.

Architect: Alda Ly Architecture
Design Team: Alda Ly, Loretta Choi, Daisy Hook
General Contractor: Birch Construction Group
Photography: Reid Rolls