Against the wind

Photo courtesy of Kaiser Permanente

FACILITY: Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley Medical Offices

LOCATION: Lancaster, Calif.

ARCHITECT: Taylor Design

Located in the High Desert region of Southern California, Kaiser Permanente’s Antelope Valley Medical Offices stand as an oasis for care delivery with 66 provider offices for clinicians in more than 20 medical specialties. The three-story, 136,000-sq. ft. medical office building’s exterior glass curtain wall also has a distinctive flair that is visually stunning while serving an important function.

The 350-foot wall’s undulating pattern is designed to slow down wind speeds as they reach campus and to shield patients and visitors from the gusts that can reach 90 miles per hour. The glass façade tilts out 10 degrees to offset glare, but each pane of glass is actually rectangular. The façade also provides spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and desert from the medical office waiting rooms, especially where the glass expanse reaches 30 feet high.

Throughout the campus, themes of butterflies and poppies are emphasized in design and landscaping elements. Both are native to the Antelope Valley. The butterfly theme continues inside the medical offices with a mobile sculpture above the registration desk in the main reception area. The facilities opened in September 2014 to serve a growing population of health plan members in Lancaster, Calif., and surrounding communities.