Located in Tampa, Florida, the Laser Spine Institute’s new 176,000-square-foot facility, comprising its corporate headquarters and an ambulatory surgery center, recently opened. It has one of the largest exterior lighting packages in the Tampa Bay area and a monumental spiral staircase near the building’s main entrance. Due to its proximity to Tampa International Airport, the facility was built three inches below FAA regulations, making it one of the tallest buildings in the immediate area.
The project team included Brasfield & Gorrie, Precise Construction, Array Architects, Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio, LLC, King Engineering Associates, Inc., Walter P Moore and I.C. Thomasson Associates, Inc.
The project team conducted testing using an engineering workshop, before beginning construction. This included a 2,500-square-foot test module at its former facility that allowed the team to experiment with different configurations for maximum efficiency and optimization of patient experience.
The new facility features a patient café, a patient reflection room and an outdoor healing garden. A circular floorplan provides a 360 degree view for patients upon entering. The new surgical center features an individualized, efficient experience for surgeons and neurosurgeons, plus new equipment and 10 modular operating rooms.
The new center was designed for a residential feel. Laser Spine Institute had patients and employees select furniture and a color scheme to remind them of home. In order to feel at ease, as far as color scheme, patients chose a “spa-like” blue palette, which has a calm and serene feel. Facility materials used include a mix of stone, wood and tile.