Clinica Family Health’s new 65,000 s.f. facility in Lafayette was recognized with the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2019 Impact Award in the Influence category. These awards celebrate the best work of Colorado’s developers, architects, builders, and their teams, and the Influence category specifically recognizes projects that demonstrate positive community impact and financial success.

This honor was shared with Boulder Associates (BA), Brinkmann Constructors, Community Bank of Colorado, the City of Lafayette, Boulder County and Northstar Commercial Partners.

The award-winning project consolidated services previously housed in four separate buildings. The first floor is comprised of integrated medical and dental clinics and a pharmacy, with administration and a training center on the second.  The clinics are designed around the innovative pod system, pioneered together by BA and Clinica, in which everyone—providers, medical assistants, medical records, nurse practitioner, behavioral health specialists—work collaboratively in a central shared workspace.

BA’s project team included Paula Sullivan, AIA, EDAC, LEED BD+C, Tatyana Lemon, IIDA, LEED, ID+C, Nick Rehnberg, AIA, LEED BD+C, Keith Fronczak, AIA, and Heather Park, LEED AP ID+C. The team ensured design was done with an eye towards sustainability and community-oriented goals. This includes charging stations for electric cars, proximity to an RTD stop, as well as bike access; additionally, the roof is designed for future installation of solar panels. The facility features the work of local artists and a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, including a rooftop garden and a playground. In addition, group visit rooms open to the exterior to allow for extra space for vendors and kiosks.

This new community asset will allow the more than 170 Clinica Family Health staff to provide services to lower income families that make up 10,500 medical and 4,500 dental patients each year.