Fifth Third Faculty Office Building

As Eskenazi Health was planning their new campus, the need to co-locate administrative and related support functions was identified and the decision was made to house them in a separate structure connected to, but away from the hustle and bustle of the hospital.

The BSA LifeStructures team met with more than 40 separate administrative user groups, identified their needs and created spaces for each group.  The high-level design goals included elimination of enclosed offices to foster more interaction and communication, flexible floor plans to accommodate changing needs, and access to natural light and exterior views to improve the work environment.

An open office concept was included throughout and organized into “neighborhoods.”  The neighborhoods are small groups of workstations separated by meeting and support spaces, creating a more intimate atmosphere for each group.  Open plan community spaces were provided on several floors for informal meetings and staff collaboration.  Utilizing open office furniture and avoiding fixed partitions provided flexibility to re-arrange spaces to meet future needs.

To maximize access to natural light and exterior views, an atypical “U” shaped floor plan was selected. The narrow, “U” shaped plan provides significantly more access to windows and natural light than a typical office building.  In many cases, work areas have access to natural light from two directions.

Some of the administrative departments include the executive suite, legal services, payroll and finance, IT, human resources, medical staff offices, patient services, clinical educators, public affairs, and the Eskenazi foundation.

Support spaces include clinical education and simulation labs, staff conferencing and training spaces, employee wellness, and occupational health.  A retail area is located on the first floor featuring a branch bank and several food service options ranging from a coffee shop to sit down dining.