Architecture, Incorporated completed Inova Sports Medicine to be approachable, functional, and well-designed for those seeking care in Fairfax, Virginia.

After acquiring the former corporate campus of Exxon Mobile, Inova Health System partnered with Architecture, Incorporated on a variety of planning and renovation projects. One of the most rewarding was the conversion of an existing conference center into the new Inova Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy complex through a complete interior renovation.

The facility supports a clinical staff led by a nationally regarded orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon, currently serving as the Lead Team Physician. The ambitious program of the 20,000 sf sports medicine facility includes a 13,000 sf outpatient clinic with physical therapy and imaging suite, an EXOS performance gym, and a 5,000 sf outdoor synthetic turf field designed for patient evaluation and performance enhancement. The facility was built-out on two of the existing building’s three floors. A new elevator connects the lower gym to the upper clinic waiting area with views over the outdoor sports fields.

In conceptualizing the new clinic, there was a considerable focus on patients’ perceptions of the space and how it could relate to their experiences in a familiar environment. The building chosen for the new clinic accommodated 20-foot-high ceilings and provided access to the outdoor sports field. The large volume allows natural light to reach deep into the building’s interior zones, helping injured athletes to feel comfortable in a non-clinical environment. High ceilings were painted black to dissolve from view, while 20-foot-high windows were added to the entrance and reception area to open the clinic to the surrounding sports field. Blurring the transition between indoor activity and outdoor training is a 30-foot-wide overhead door, allowing patients and physicians to experience various field conditions both inside and out.

The functional space program and design concept called for two clinical “racetracks” with a connecting main street, allowing treatment teams to expand or contract as needed. Playful cylindrical pods, reflecting the existing building’s existing circular entrance lobby, glow from colorful glass linings and offer wayfinding with a punch of vivid color. Bold fabrics on seating add focal points and interest to the public spaces—symbolic of sports team uniforms and logos. Wood grain flooring was used throughout to subtly reference traditional sports court flooring materials. Thin, crisp light fixtures extend the length of the building drawing the patient’s eye to the “finish line” to define distance and direction, while circular rings of light illuminate focal points. As patients move through the clinic, larger-than-life photographs of athletic moments are strategically placed to inspire and provide identification to treatment rooms.

The new clinic was designed to engage while providing visual cues to the treatment plan. It is a thoughtful blending of interior architecture and personalized medicine to stimulate both the clinical team and the recovering patient.

Architect: Architecture, Incorporated
Commercial Interiors Firm: DMG Interiors
Contractor: Calloway Contracting Group
Photography: Paul Burk