Perkins and Will were tasked with creating an urban outpatient facility at the Ambulatory Care Center for NYU Langone Health in New York City, New York.

When one of New York’s premier academic medical centers looked to build an outpatient facility in midtown Manhattan, their forward-thinking vision was to offer more services in one place to a community where many live and work. This core strategy led to the purchase of a 25-story commercial office building that was prime for repositioning and future space.

The NYU Ambulatory Care Center brings together multiple subspecialty departments. A common design language promotes a cohesive NYU Brand, while adjusting to each practice’s assorted needs. NYU’s brand identity was a design driver, building visual connections and consistency. A feature wall forms the signature arrival and wayfinding element on all 25 floors is a nod to the light, rhythm, and texture of the building facades in the surrounding Midtown Manhattan neighborhood, the articulation and cadence, and a welcoming arrival for visitors.

While trying to simultaneously recruit the best clinicians, multiple practices had been working in spaces they outgrew long ago. The intent of the new space was to foster collaboration while providing flexibility to adjust to future care models. Efficient design enabled a shift from the precedents that every physician requires a full-time office and a set number of exam rooms, encouraging shared workspaces and efficient layouts to allow the clinical teams to flex based upon daily patient flows. This enabled the dedication of more space to clinical functions, allowing for reduced waiting times and effective workflows.

Clinical corridors, staff work and respite areas maximize access to natural light and unbeatable midtown views, ensuring staff’s equal priority to comfort. Extremely tight floorplates, reducing in size as the building ascends, required maximum planning efficiency related to medical equipment and existing infrastructure considerations. This program placement challenge was leveraged through the introduction of views and daylight into spaces which are typically buried within a windowless interior such as MRIs, CTs, and Operating Suites.

A common design language throughout the spaces adjusts to each practice’s assorted needs. NYU Langone’s brand identity was a distinct design driver when building visual connections and consistency tying back to NYU Langone’s vast network of care centers. This language highlights engaging visual variety through articulation, rhythm without being fragmentation, a welcoming arrival/procession to those waiting and a balanced palette and scale.

Design: Perkins and Will
Design Team: Brooke Horan, Robert Wall, Jeff Ziemann, Kela Bogaard, Michelle Muhlbauer, Hugo Santibanez, Dawn Pappas
Photography: Dave Burk