Infant Welfare Society Health Center

When the Infant Welfare Society realized that the majority of those served at its facility had to travel great distances to receive the affordable health care services it provides, it decided to seek a new home in the Logan Square neighborhood, closer to its primarily Latino patient base. With a long history of community involvement, the organization realized that relocation would not only better serve clients, but could also act as an enhancement to the neighbor- hood. The new Infant Welfare Society Health Center at 3600 West Fullerton fulfills both goals. Occupying all of the former Kimbell Trust and Savings building, the Center is a great example of adaptive use and sustainable development. While thoroughly modern in equipment and architecture, the handsome building has seen the restoration of the two primary original exterior facades, preserving the feel of this historic building. Readily accessible by public transportation and car, with a side parking lot and new building entrance that leaves unchanged the original street façade, overall patient traffic both outside and inside the building is equally well planned for ease and legibility. Large windows providing abundant natural light and the imaginative use of colors create a relaxing atmosphere to assuage the anxiety that patients often feel in a medical setting. Using a broad array of energy saving features, recycled materials and environmentally friendly finishes, the design of the building enhances patient comfort and staff productivity. Documentation of the building’s technical performance is currently being reviewed by the U.S. Green Building council for certification status under Leadership in Environmentally Efficient Design (LEED) performance criteria. For designing a building hailed by patients and neighbors in the Logan Square community as a true asset, SMNG-A Architects for the Infant Welfare Society Health Center is the winner of the 2nd place Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architecture Excellence in Community Design.