Unity Care NW North Whatcom Health Center

Early Involvement + Collaborative Design Gets Results

Certified LEED Silver, this project received the AIA NW Washington 2019 Citation Award for achievement in architectural design. The new two-story building expands Unity Care NW’s healthcare services to 9,500 residences in Ferndale, Lynden, and communities north of Bellingham, WA. The center offers the most comprehensive behavioral health services in Whatcom County, outside of Bellingham, with integrated medical and dental services as well as an onsite pharmacy.

Unity Care NW, Aldrich, and RMC Architects worked in close collaboration focusing on patient-centered care during the design process and maximized value with intensive design iterations, budgeting, and scheduling. Aldrich provided early cost and constructability analysis for structural and mechanical systems to achieve the budget objectives while maintaining the full program, aesthetics, quality, and sustainability goals. Collaborative design strategies helped drive adaptable and flexible spaces, optimized care provider workflow, and connected spaces to the exterior, allowing for future program growth. Care providers with workspaces immediately adjacent to care areas and patient flow were a factor in implementing lean processes.