When patient visits more than tripled in just eight years, the University of Miami’s internationally recognized Bascom Palmer Eye Institute needed a new home for its Naples location. Officials desired a modern space with an eye-catching aesthetic that captured the organization’s commitment to innovation in helping patients experience the visual world.
The 21,200 square-foot facility designed by Gresham Smith and ophthalmology design expert Julio Ripoll, AIA, embraces the spirit of optic science by showcasing light and views of the local landscape. The building's exterior features transparent glass paneling in a series of interlocking shapes, and a cantilevered patient drop-off area provides shade to the main lobby’s glass-enclosed two-story atrium, which features custom sculptural pendant lighting inspired by the shape of an eye. The design enables visitors to easily locate the eye lane pods, nurse station and receptionist upon entry.
With clinical space for the treatment of almost every known eye disease, the state-of-the-art center includes 20 exam rooms and eye lanes, a full surgical suite with two operating rooms, a photo suite, physician offices and an optical lab. Reception, registration and lobby areas are intuitive and patient friendly, and wood, bendable resin and glass create a blend of futuristic and classic design in the reception area with clear sight lines throughout the building.
Registration space specifically tailored to Bascom Palmer ties online registration into a concierge design with stand-up registration stations for those who do not register online to improve efficiency. Support offices for insurance verification, surgical scheduling and other administrative tasks adjoin the space.
With six times more clinical space than the old location and the capacity for twice as many ophthalmologists on staff, this modern facility will serve Bascom Palmer’s growing patient population for many years to come.