University of Georgia

Client: University of Georgia
Location: Athens, GA

A Revolutionary Concept
Student Health Elevated UGA’s recently completed $17 million expansion and renovation to their comprehensive student health services facility will make it one the largest in the nation. MMA was commissioned to identify various alternatives to help meet growing demand and to develop a whole new image for one the most important emerging East Campus gateways. MMA developed detailed conceptual options. MMA resynthesized and corrected detailed space programming prepared by a previous architect.

The University of Georgia Student Health Center is a $17 million student center, completed on time and on budget. 110,000 square foot comprehensive health services facility comprised of office-based, ambulatory and outpatient care environments and is JCAHO certified. According to Dr. Jean Chin, MD, MBA, Director: “JMD solved what we thought was an unsolvable problem”. JMD’s scope formulation, budgeting and programming accuracies yielded a final deviation of only 200 sf from the original conceptual phase program prepared by JMD.

MMA has set itself apart from all other design firms with its depth, breadth, and critique of evidence-based literature. As hospitals grow incrementally over time, healthcare needs, coupled with site limitations present new and unique challenges for every expansion. Many large hospital spaces are not designed or used as effectively as they could be.

Wayfinding clarity, discreet mental health and health promotion settings and built-in ability to expand are several hallmarks of the new design. New and improved fast track and emergent care functionality, security, quality control and error reduction objectives in key clinical settings were several core design prerequisites. Environments improve staff morale, utilization and efficiency, customer satisfaction and are great places to work. The Women’s Clinic Nurse Manager said it best: ‘The renovations are functionally perfect’.