When hard copy medical records went digital, Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center’s basement records department fell into disuse. So, the healthcare system seized the opportunity to revitalize the subterranean space to house their Neurosurgery/Anesthesia Clinic. And since a windowless, fluorescent-lit space is less than ideal for providers, staff, and its members—we utilized Kaiser Permanente’s Total Health Environment (THE) Toolkit to design and create a nature-inspired, light-filled environment that supports Kaiser Permanente’s Total Health brand and transforms the new clinic into a shining example of powerful design.

In the absence of windows and natural light, we focused on LED lighting solutions to bring the feeling of those elements into the basement. Color-changing LEDs in the front porch waiting area and pre-op/post-op rooms slowly cycle through soothing colors, creating a calming effect that also helps break up the monotony of a windowless space. And even without windows, the clinic still has “views” to nature. We worked closely with the LED lighting company to create custom LED panels that combine lights with nature photography. Once detached from the outside world, the front porch waiting area now features cloud graphics that mimic the sky, and LED clerestories at the providers’ offices appear to open up to a forest canopy.