The new Cedars-Sinai Los Feliz Urgent Care Clinic in Los Angeles plays against type, offering a stylized design to what are typically mundane, utilitarian buildings. Exterior features echo two Frank Lloyd Wright-designed iconic homes in the surrounding Los Feliz neighborhood. Textured stone tile on the ground level facade is reminiscent of the Ennis House, while green and white concrete brick—featuring custom incised geometric patterns including company initials—on the plinth level is inspired by the Samuel Novarro house.
The facility is located on busy Hillhurst Avenue, the main street of the Los Feliz neighborhood where local shops, bars, and restaurants are located. The clinic matches the scale, aesthetic, and character of the area that includes diverse architectural heritage spanning Spanish, Art Deco, Mayan Revival, Mid-Century, and contemporary eras. The nuanced four-box design features a textured façade that breaks down the scale of the boxes to evoke a patchwork form reminiscent of the rich pastiche of structures in Los Feliz.
The second-floor exterior is wrapped in matte black corrugated metal panels that create a rain screen system separating the stucco finish of the building and effectively keeping the building cooler. It also appears lower than it is to create a pedestrian-scale experience at the street level.
Natural light was a priority in the design. An airy two-story atrium draws in natural daylight and acts as a beacon in the neighborhood, especially at night when it appears to glow. Generous natural light also permeates exam rooms which can often be constrictive, dark, and claustrophobic in typical clinic designs. Cedars-Sinai opted to sacrifice 600 sf of profitable space to enhance the environment for patients and staff, allowing for more windows and outdoor space. A light at the end of each hallway provides illumination, enhancing the patient experience as they proceed deeper into the building and easing an experience that is often fraught with anxiety.
A series of murals by local artists including Nigel Sussman and Sarajo Friedman incorporate Neighborhood-specific imagery and bright colors. A staff patio located on the second story looks out onto the street to invite engagement with the neighborhood.
On the building team:
Owner and/or developer: Cedars-Sinai Health System
Design architect: Abramson Architects
Architect of record: Abramson Architects
MEP engineer: REX Engineering
Structural & Civil Engineer: LFA, Caitlin Bishop Project Engineer
General contractor/construction manager: Pankow, Jasen Greenberg, Project Manager



Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 1, 2023
High-rise cancer center delivers new model for oncology care
Atlanta’s 17-story Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Midtown features two-story communities that organize cancer care into one-stop destinations. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and May Architecture, the facility includes comprehensive oncology facilities—including inpatient beds, surgical capacity, infusion treatment, outpatient clinics, diagnostic imaging, linear accelerators, and areas for wellness, rehabilitation, and clinical research.
Healthcare Facilities | May 19, 2023
A new behavioral health facility in California targets net zero energy
Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.
3D Printing | May 12, 2023
World’s first 3D-printed medical center completed
3D construction printing reached new heights this week as the world’s first 3D-printed medical center was completed in Thailand.
Sustainability | May 11, 2023
Let's build toward a circular economy
Eric Corey Freed, Director of Sustainability, CannonDesign, discusses the values of well-designed, regenerative buildings.
BIM and Information Technology | May 8, 2023
What AEC professionals should know about digital twins
A growing number of AEC firms and building owners are finding value in implementing digital twins to unify design, construction, and operational data.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 27, 2023
BD+C's 2023 Design Innovation Report
Building Design+Construction’s Design Innovation Report presents projects, spaces, and initiatives—and the AEC professionals behind them—that push the boundaries of building design. This year, we feature four novel projects and one building science innovation.
Sustainability | Apr 20, 2023
13 trends, technologies, and strategies to expect in 2023
Biophilic design, microgrids, and decarbonization—these are three of the trends, technologies, and strategies IMEG’s market and service leaders believe are poised to have a growing impact on the built environment.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 17, 2023
UC Irvine takes sustainability to new level with all-electric medical center
The University of California at Irvine (UCI) has a track record for sustainability. Its under-construction UCI Medical Center is designed, positioned, and built to preserve the nearby San Joaquin Marsh Reserve, to reduce the facility’s solar gain by 85%, and to be the first medical center in the country to operate on an all-electric central plant.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 13, 2023
Healthcare construction costs for 2023
Data from Gordian breaks down the average cost per square foot for a three-story hospital across 10 U.S. cities.