Honorable Mention: American Architecture Awards 2023
Kaiser Permanente Everett Ambulatory Surgery and Specialty Center Expansion | Everett - Washington | 2022

Architects: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK)
General Contractor: Kaiser Permanente
Client: Mortenson

SIZE: 238,000 sq. ft. | 73,000 sq. ft. Existing, 165,000 sq. ft. Addition
SERVICES: Architecture, Interiors, Landscape Architecture, Medical Planning, Planning, Signage & Wayfinding, Specifications, Sustainable Design
DESIGN COMPLETION: 2022

An expansion to the existing Kaiser Permanente Everett campus, the Kaiser Permanente Everett Ambulatory Surgery and Specialty Center creates a beacon for healing in a growing urban neighborhood fronting the busiest transportation corridor in the state. This LEED Silver-anticipated clinical hub integrates a new four-story, 165,000-sq.ft. outpatient surgery center and parking garage with an existing primary care clinic, which provides access to high-quality, affordable health care services to Everett’s growing community.

The campus serves as a gateway to the city’s downtown core and newly rezoned transit corridor, fostering a friendly and inviting urban cityscape. The overall building design is aligned with the Enterprise Facilities Design Standards, Kaiser Permanente’s interior standards program guiding interior design, furnishings, and signage. The building’s design embraces all aspects of a person’s well-being. The architecture intentionally communicates the interlocking elements of service within, with materials and forms that directly relate to the different spaces inside.

Wrapped within a welcoming portal frame and positioned above a transparent base, these interlocked structures and integrated landscape welcome Kaiser Permanente members into the building and surrounding neighborhood beyond. Inspired by the richness of the Puget Sound region, the campus embraces and expresses the legacy of the place. Textured, grooved panels across the building envelope feature a pattern that resembles layered tree branches while a monumental, backlit graphic of mountains on the east façade creates a beacon along the adjacent highway.

Biophilic design elements, including a wide plaza landscaped with wood timbers and native plantings, bring members, physicians, and staff closer to nature. Natural wood spans from the outdoor landscape into the Public Square and lobby within, bringing the warmth and human scale of wood to promote calm and familiarity. Similarly, the interior’s biophilic palette is inspired by the colors, textures and patterns of the Puget Sound region. Overall, the building embodies Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to improve the health of members and communities served, simultaneously creating a new icon for healing in the city of Everett.