Minnesota health center features serene design

Facility: Park Nicollet Women’s Center

Location: St. Louis Park, Minn.

Designer: AECOM, Minneapolis

First impressions count, and at the Park Nicollet Outpatient Women’s Center in St. Louis Park, Minn., the welcome lounge greets patients and family members with a distinctively serene atmosphere.

The modern spalike interior design supports an image of wellness and integrates natural materials, decorative lighting and unique artwork. A striking circular light in the center of the lounge provides a hospitality influence, further reinforcing a calming, welcoming experience.

Since the center sees adult women of all ages as well as their families, the space and furnishings support options for different physical needs and preferences. The variety of seating types accommodates various activities, including modular lounge seating for relaxation and café tables for enjoying a beverage or doing homework. Upon check-in, iPads are offered to patients to use while in the center. This decreases clutter, and iPads can be cleaned easily after each use.

The center’s art program reflects the diversity of women’s life stages and health through diverse media and thematic content, including the “healing totem” sculpture near the south-facing windows that provide a treetop view overlooking the adjacent wetlands. HFM