Project Details
COMPLETED:	August 2005
CATEGORY:	Healthcare
LOCATION:	Knoxville, TN
OWNER:	Covenant Health Properties

In a building environment surrounded by sickness and healing, joy and stress, a person must have an area to escape where a sense of everyday life may exist.  The client's vision in this project was to create such a space.  To take the existing cafeteria footprint and institutional aesthetic and create an environment that people (patient families, general public visiting the campus, Physician's and other employees) would use to congregate and momentarily escape into a comfortable, relaxing and stress-free environment.
The design approach in providing a solution for the client's vision was to interject materials and surfaces that added warmth related to local aesthetics with the use of varying wood finishes, interior plant areas, etc. while at the same time creating a subtle compositional balance with modern materials of brushed metal and glass.  Design elements were added to both plans, elevations and finishes to create a fluid motion, rhythm and textural experience in the space to enhance feelings of comfort and relaxation.
This renovation project exemplifies the ability to hear the client's vision and create a successful solution.  A solution that not only enhanced the function and flow of the service provided, but allowed the ambience of the space to aid in the healing process. This invigorating, yet relaxing space offers an opportunity to reexamine, rediscover and liberate all patrons from their tensions.