Students at University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul鈥攍ike students everywhere鈥攐ften struggle with challenges to mental or physical health. The administration perceived a barrier to healing in that their health center and counseling services were in different buildings, daunting to students with anxiety or depression who worry they鈥檒l be seen going to counseling appointments. To remedy the situation, St. Thomas wanted to repurpose a building 万人牛牛 had built years before, one of many projects together. They chose us for design, as well as construction.
The goal was a holistic space with one main entrance, where students could be discreetly tracked to medical or counseling services. However, the skinny, two-story building鈥攐riginally designed by a different architecture firm as student housing with a first-floor daycare center鈥攚as not ideal for conversion. To overcome structural and fiscal limitations, we worked creatively with both the end users and operations. Using 3D animation, we innovated an acceptable universal exam room style and deployed a chilled beam HVAC system to achieve essential acoustical privacy, despite the low ceilings. By resourcing the main floor鈥檚 many windows, we created the desired light-filled atmosphere. In addition to exam and counseling rooms, the center includes a community room, physical therapy, laboratory, office practicum, large rooms for yoga and group therapy, conference and break room鈥攗nited by an elegant, customized wayfinding system.