Retrofit recasts an old bank as a community health center that provides affordable care to an underserved region
Chicago-based Erie Family Health Center wanted to open a community health center in Lake County, Illinois, where nearly 150,000 residents lack access to medical and dental care. The organization purchased a 40-year-old bank in Waukegan, the county seat.
Today, the 24,000-square-foot Erie HealthReach Waukegan Health Center stands as a community-sensitive portal to care that annually provides medical and dental services to over 12,500 Lake County residents, regardless of their ability to pay. The design welcomes the community and celebrates the facility’s origins.
Before construction, the building’s hardwood paneling, marble, and granite made it insular and less welcoming. The renewed interiors, fusing the client’s color scheme with contemporary materials, welcome the community and celebrate the facility’s origins. An extended display window houses a grand stair and brings natural light deep into the building. Photos of the owner’s diverse staff and clientele line the corridors.
Refurbished vault doors with spinning locks recall the facility’s previous role. On the lower level, former safe deposit boxes create a decorative backdrop in the lounge-like staff break room.
Project Awards
LEED certified, U.S. Green Building Council
Award of Excellence, AIA Northeast Illinois Chapter
Legat transformed a dark, inward-focused building into a vibrant community pillar that encapsulates the Erie brand/vision, responds to the cultural nuances of the neighborhood, and respects our funding limitations.
Dr. Lee Francis, President and CEO, Erie Family Health Center
