The plan was to take an existing two-story commercial office building and turn it into a new four-story healthcare facility that would enable Mazzoni to effectively serve its clients. In order to do that, we had to remove much of the interior structure and replace it with new steel framing and foundations.

The interior design of the building was heavily influenced by our collaboration with the leadership at the Mazzoni Center. Through our shared dialogue, we honed in on the touchstones of our design: privacy, safety, and comfort. All of the public-facing services were kept on the first floor. To address privacy concerns, we minimized sound transmission between counseling rooms, provided individual gender-neutral restrooms on every floor. We also selected colorful and comfortable furnishings to instill a welcoming environment.

The new Mazzoni Center is now a 50,000-square-foot center that includes a 15,000-square-foot primary care clinic with 22 private treatment rooms, 11 counseling rooms, 3 group rooms, and 23 individual therapy suites which are built on an adjustable frame system. This allows the spaces to be flexible and adaptable to the staff and patients’ needs. The center also houses nurses’ stations and an in-house laboratory.

Upper levels of the building contain executive offices, conference rooms, and an 1,800-square-foot Town Hall available for workshops, public meetings, and political and community events. The new center also provides a food bank and a full-service Walgreen’s pharmacy catering to specific LGBTQ+ needs.