This new 4,500 s.f. tenant improvement for an FQHC clinic provides primary care, dental, and behavioral health services to an under-resourced community in Hemet, California. With a tight budget and schedule, limited square footage, and no available as-built drawings, the team relied on agile thinking, creativity, and effective communication to deliver this project.

Because of the lack of as-builts, the team visited the site early in the design process to document the existing conditions and create background files; however, during the Construction Documents phase, the landlord provided drawings containing new information about the bearing walls. Working with the client, the team decided to maintain their existing submittal timeline by finding a structural solution to eliminate the bearing wall. Rather than backtracking in the design—costing valuable time and resources—the team designed around the load-bearing columns and turned them into an attractive design feature.

The site posed many challenges for the team, including accessibility, parking, and stringent jurisdictional requirements. While the building’s shell received no structural alterations, the team succeeded in completely changing the exterior aesthetic of the building with cosmetic modifications and small but impactful design features.