Schley Nelson’s task for the Sindecuse Health Center project was to improve the Pharmacy and Registration services for patients and customers at Western Michigan University. The project was comprised of small size and budget, but the University wished to gain a new addition that flowed well with the existing building while creating interior spaces that were more fitting of a modern University atmosphere. The project consisted of a 1,065 square foot addition and remodeling to the 5,080 square feet of core areas within the building.

The result of the project was an improvement to overall flow of the structure. Patient privacy was kept at the forefront of the project, resulting in the use of sweeping curved walkways that naturally created private areas for patients in Registration. The design also included a new welcome desk and lobby ceilings that were pushed up to provide the feeling of a larger space and to increase volume, as beneficial for a healing environment.

The outside view of the addition was created as a simple exterior design that tied together the old building. Schley Nelson’s solution rearranged the vehicular drives to separate drop-off functions from Pharmacy drive-through functions and brought forward a new covered canopy for drop-off and entry definition. This new design allowed for a clear point of entry through the use of arched canopy shapes that were chosen to contrast the existing building’s rectilinear shape, enhancing the entry’s prominence.