Judges' Comments

• N/A

Project Data:

Completion Date:     10/1/2016

Square Footage:      12000

Building Use:           Wellness and Aquatic Therapy Center

Location:                 Downey, California

Project Description:

The Don Knabe Wellness Center is only the first phase of a $460 million state-of-the-art renovation at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitative medicine. While the new facility is equipped with a therapy swimming pool that has an underwater treadmill, weight-lifting room, dance studio, cardio and yoga room, the Rancho Los Amigos community is more appreciative of what this wellness center symbolizes — a place where miracles happen and hope is revitalized. Aimed to increase both the patients’ and community’s accessibility to advanced rehabilitative technologies and wellness practices, this center was proudly recognized by state legislators and was officially dedicated and named after Donald R. Knabe, former member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Fourth District.
A faceted jewel on the elliptical entry plaza, the Wellness Center emphasizes the role of patients and community in recovery. The design concept is reflective of textiles and the layering of materials (A nod to the site’s past use of textile weaving as occupational therapy). Textured concrete panels and an undulating metal roof scrim visually weave the modern structure together with the original poured-in-place buildings. The perforated scrim, evoking the site’s historically prolific orange trees, helps to control daylight, reduce energy demands, and provide a protected pathway for pedestrians. The lobby acts as a continuation of the central plaza, allowing patients to learn to adapt to the external conditions they will face when they leave the hospital by literally opening their doors to the landscape. Upon entering the center guests are greeted by civic art based on the tree of life, a timeless symbol of rebirth and shelter, reflective of the mission of Rancho Los Amigos.
As one of the largest rehabilitation hospitals in the United States, Rancho Los Amigos cares for approximately 4,000 inpatients each year, and services 71,000 outpatient visits each year. After completing outpatient rehabilitation, individuals with diagnoses such as stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury often encounter “gaps” where they may unable to fully participate in their life roles and occupations. The new Wellness Center offers continued programming to meet the physical and psychosocial needs of these clients, while also encouraging community involvement through low-cost memberships. Supporting these goals the gym offers equipment appropriate for all levels, including specialized fitness equipment for individuals with disabilities. Airy and light-filled therapy and instructional spaces hold classes focusing on improving balance, strength, coordination, and enhanced overall physical activity. Educational programs address topics like nutrition, recreation, and other health issues.
New dual-purpose outdoor spaces, healing gardens and terraces, large plazas, and amphitheaters extend rehabilitation far beyond the walls of the hospital and create places for celebration, games, activity and respite for patients, staff, families and community. As an example of a truly sustainable urban environment, the building plumbing infrastructure and irrigation system anticipate reclaimed water being available to the facility in the future. These optimistic and forward thinking approaches to building and urban design epitomize the hope characteristic of the work at Rancho Los Amigos.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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