Corporate branding gets an illuminating twist in two projects where light is as essential as environmental graphics to convey company philosophy in satellite offices—one urban, the other suburban.
Smithgroup had completed four Microsoft Technology Centers (MTC) for the software giant by the time the multidisciplinary firm was asked to design a fifth, in Southfield, Michigan.
Owner: Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund Completion Date: June 2010 Program: A two-story, 72,000-square-foot facility for traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients at Bethesda's National Naval Medical Center. The project includes clinics; imaging facilities; spaces for physical therapy, outdoor rehabilitation, and virtual-reality-assisted rehab; offices; an auditorium; a patient lounge and coffee bar; and a skylit multipurpose space that can host activities ranging from group exercises to theater performances. Design concept and solution:The architects needed to accommodate a wide variety of programs under one roof, while creating flexible spaces that can adapt to the center's evolving needs as new findings about TBI emerge.
The design of the James Clarkson Environmental Discovery Center was the result of collaboration with landscape architects, scientists, engineers, educators, and architects.