Eastern Shore Chiropractic
When ESCSC outgrew their offices, they reached out to Watershed to create a center for health and healing, with room to expand.
The new buildings are spare and simple, with a palette of painted brick, stained pine, and grey and silver metals. Every treatment room in ESC has views of trees or sky through high windows that ensure patient privacy. The rehabilitation area and lobby connect to the outside with broad expanses of glass. Interior colors and material palette are inspired by nature and intended to create a cool, relaxing respite.
Energy efficiency is achieved through a well-insulated envelope, efficient lighting, daylight harvesting, and shading. Both buildings achieved the rigorous FORTIFIED Commercial™ Certification for structural resilience. They were tested by Hurricane Sally soon after construction was completed, and weathered the storm without incident.
Pervious parking and landscape elements filter and infiltrate the majority of rainwater runoff from the project onsite, significantly reducing stormwater retention requirements. The project landscape utilizes low maintenance native plants, and is a Certified Wildlife Habitat. The process of capturing rainwater becomes a focal point and design element in several areas:
Pervious river rock inset into the sidewalk, underneath the drip line of the roof above, collects rainwater and directs it to a bio-infiltration area.
Concave landscaped islands in the parking lot capture stormwater and filter it through the soil.
Entryway gutters lead to decorative rain chains directing water to the underground retention and drainage system.
Project type: commercial new construction
Location: Fairhope, AL
Key team: FMS Engineering, Dell Consulting, Espalier Landscape Architecture, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Certifications: FORTIFIED Commercial™, Certified Wildlife Habitat
