IIDA – Perspective Fall/Winter 2019 - 24

she says. Creating shared break rooms, changing rooms
with showers, and protected outdoor space is "central to
the employee experience."

respected. He also wanted to be sure the facility reflected
the Planned Parenthood brand while still being unique
to the diverse urban environment of Queens. "It was a
chance to take a fresh look at how they delivered care and
A Fresh Approach
created a brand image in a secure space," Yablon says.
Like Chiang, Barnette tried to break the mold on Planned
The Queens site was a new building, so the team had the
Parenthood's design when developing a new facility in
freedom to design it to exact specifications. Yablon's team
the New York borough of Queens. The 14,400-squarespent weeks with the PPNYC team sharing mood boards
foot (1,338-square-meter) space-which opened in
with different design elements to help them visualize the
2016-includes waiting areas, exam and counseling rooms,
look and feel of the site. The Planned Parenthood team
procedure and recovery rooms, a community health
was adamant that the design reflect a quality healthcare
education suite, and offices. It was an essential project for
environment. "They didn't want cozy, woody designs and
PPNYC because it was the first new facility it had built
materials," Yablon says. Instead, they chose a sleek and
in years, and it would fulfill its goal of having a presence in
minimalist look that communicated up-to-date, modern
every borough of New York. "It was an opportunity for us
medical care with touches of color for added warmth,
to design a brand new center around the kind of patient
welcome, and comfort.
experience we wanted to create-one that is nurturing,
The resulting design reflects that vision in every detail.
welcoming and safe and that reflects the rich diversity of
The exterior, which abuts the public sidewalk, features gray
Queens," Barnette says.
bricks and a modern asymmetrical design that contrasts
Her team worked with Stephen Yablon Architecture, a
with the mostly brownstone neighborhood without sticking
New York-based firm, to transform its vision into a state-ofout. The street side is defined by soaring impact-resistant
the-art healthcare facility. Stephen
windows that flood the interior
Yablon has ample experience
with natural light. "We felt it was
in the healthcare industry, so
important that this facility had a
he understood the compliance
strong street presence," Yablon says.
and regulatory requirements for
This is especially important in today's
the building, which helped drive
political climate, where politicians
the design decisions. But he was
are pushing to defund Planned
American women
also very focused on figuring out
Parenthood and drive it out of the
have visited a
precisely what the PPNYC team
communities it serves. "[The design]
envisioned for this space.
says, 'We perform an important
Planned Parenthood
Like Chiang, Yablon strove
public service, and we are not going
for healthcare at least
to balance the need for security
anywhere,'" he says.
once in their lives.
with a welcoming environment
The building's single entrance leads
Source: Planned Parenthood
that made patients feel valued and
from a metal detector to a check-in

1 in 5

perspective

iida.org/perspective

Photos by: Courtesy of Stephen Yabon

Above (left
and right):
The Planned
Parenthood
building in
the New York
borough of
Queens was
designed by
Steven Yablon
Architecture.

http://www.iida.org/perspective

IIDA – Perspective Fall/Winter 2019

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