Learn how Wellogy designed their new office focused on wellness

Our move to the mixed-use community of Bridge Park created the opportunity to design the ideal workspace for our team. Check out our new publication; it has insights into our process to reach our goals and information on the wellness elements we incorporated into our new office design.

For the love of the game: Wellogy Retreat 23

If you didn’t already know, architects are highly competitive by nature. They want to win the project, develop the best solution to challenges, negotiate unbeatable costs, beat the schedule, unite the perfect team, and create something impactful and memorable. While this is all excellent news for our clients, this highly competitive nature often requires a hard reboot and a chance to pause. Enter half-time, also known as Wellogy Retreat 23.

“As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get.”

Ted Lasso

Into the locker room.

Our team recently gathered in our new Dublin, Ohio office to spark ideas, build our team, look to the future of architecture, and discuss our evolving strategy to provide the best possible experience and value for our clients. It was a retreat full of new ideas, team building, joy, and the realization that we were becoming who we set out to be a little over a year ago when we rebranded to Wellogy.

“We work daily in our business, and it’s important to also work on our business. We’ve been Wellogy for over a year now, and it was time to stop and take stock of what we’ve accomplished and prepare for what’s ahead.”

-Wellogy President and Founding Principal, Philip O. “Buck” Wince, AIA, LEED®AP

The Ted talk format for our three-day retreat featured Wellogy team members owning relevant topics and sharing their knowledge, experience, and research. Topics included AI: Architecture and the Future of Design, Sustainable Structures, Designing for the Neurodiverse, Wellogy Design Process, Healthy Building Materials, Storytelling, Teaching our Team, Visualization: Style Guide for the Design Process, WFH: Lasting Impacts, and Developing & Growing Relationships.

“We wanted to provide our team with the opportunity to showcase and present on topics they are passionate about that impact our jobs and project outcomes.”

-Wellogy Principal and CFO, Matt Canterna, AIA

The sessions provided valuable information and insight to help shape our firm as we search for and incorporate ways to build and be better together. Team building was also a vital element of the retreat. We worked in small groups to compile wellness kits for those in need, competed in a modeling charrette, and learned about our different working styles through individual Myers-Briggs assessments. Bridge Park Pins Mechanical and Fado were the backdrop for many laughs, shared stories, and memories.

Whistle!”

-Roy Kent

Now that we have your attention…we are in our 28th year of business and into our second year of officially being Wellogy. The hope and optimism we felt when we rebranded is still ever present in our evolved culture and mission. Our passion for designing places of well-being is sparking new project possibilities and solutions for our clients. The retreat reminded us that we love the game of architecture and the opportunity to unite resources and build great teams to solve challenges. Through our listening, learning, and team building, we know that if we want to change the world through design, we must also change ourselves and how we live, work, and inhabit our spaces. Our team is ready to help you complete your next project. Wellogy on three!

Believe.

Thoughtful design elements enhance learning in Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic

Wellogy Principal and Architect Rebecca Fox, AIA, LEED® AP, led the team to complete the Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, a project celebrating its first anniversary. Becky shares some insights on this unique hands-on learning facility and the thoughtful design elements that encourage and enhance learning and wellness.

What was the basis of the design for this facility? 

Student learning is the focus of the entire facility. Frank Stanton, the primary donor for the facility, realized that a broader approach is necessary to make a difference in veterinary care. He believed in teaching the future veterinarians how to do/treat more, address the entire spectrum of care, and serve clients from all socioeconomic backgrounds. The program also includes an area for community outreach. We incorporated a garage for their outreach vehicle and secure storage for when companies donate goods, whether dog food, veterinary medicine, or other supplies.

Becky Fox, AIA, LEED® AP, Project Manager for the Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.

What were some of the challenges with designing this facility?

Wellogy was the facilitator of bringing a cohesive design with the many vital professionals involved. One of the things we do best is to bring together the best possible team for every project. We worked with BDA (Building Design for Animals) to focus on particular veterinary needs and collaborated with Bostwick Design Partnership on the exterior design. Additionally, there were civil, structural, MEP engineers, landscape architects, university stakeholders, sustainability stakeholders, FFE procurement, and CMR, among crucial players on the team. With a large project team and a global pandemic with changing market and workforce conditions, we had to lead with focus and endurance to the end goal of opening on budget and on time. 

The unique way OSU approached the design of this project was to have the veterinarian (or they saw them as a coach) take a step back and allow the student to experience the responsibility and accountability of assessing the patient and their needs and coming up with a care plan in a safe zone. The coach or veterinarian would observe from an adjacent room out of sight, which is different from having the coach assist or stand beside the student.  

Canine exam room. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.
Coach or veterinarian observing from an adjacent room out of sight. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.

One of the biggest challenges in the design of the facility was acoustics. We needed to make sure that when the student was in the exam room with the client and patient, the veterinarian/professor in the observation room could see and hear the activity (cameras and microphones). Observation is also just as important when the student comes back into the staff/vet tech space or the observation room. Clinical staff noises must not transmit back to the animal owners to maintain privacy for sensitive matters. 

What are some of the unique design concepts?

The facility includes unique exam rooms – (2) feline exam rooms on a separate HVAC system because cats can tell when dogs are around – those pheromones get around! We made feline-specific exam rooms and a dedicated waiting room for them too. There is a driving force in veterinary practice to keep animals calm during visits. It’s difficult for a vet to examine an animal if they are nervous or anxious. 

There are also exam rooms specific for behavioral animals. Not all dogs are friendly to other canines, may be traumatized, or they could have an issue being around other animals, so there is a special side entrance created for any behavioral animal. Not only does this help keep the animal calm during a visit, but it also is easier on the dog owner. There is also an isolation exam room with a dedicated entry. If you have a contagious animal (for example, a puppy that has parvo), they can come through a separate entrance. That entrance leads to an isolation exam room with a special procedure room, isolation holding (with a dedicated janitor’s closet), and a unique isolation yard outside. There are also special HVAC considerations in the isolation area to maintain negative airflow. Views can be had from the treatment room into this isolation bay so that vets can keep an eye on them if they need to, and there are accommodations for both felines and canines in this area.

Feline exam room. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.

Views were a significant consideration in the design of the facility. Students have their Learning Conference Room immediately adjacent to the Treatment Room. If a veterinarian needs any additional assistance or wants to show them something unique as a learning opportunity, they are close and can see who is available. Likewise, it allows the student to do any research or study when there is downtime between patients. From the Treatment Room, which is the hub of the facility, students and staff can see into the Isolation Ward, the Feline Ward, the Student LCR, the Dental Suite, the Recovery Room, and Induction. Dr. Fingland, Executive Associate Dean and Professor Executive Director, and Chief Medical officer for the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicinecame up with the surgery window view for students. The window into the surgery suite is just off one of the secure access-only entrances for staff, students, and faculty. It looks into the surgery suite without being close-up- what better way to be excited about what they are learning!                     

Viewing window into the surgery suite.
Surgery suite with student observation window, top left. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.

Wellogy teamed with Bostwick Design Partnership to develop the active learning classrooms. This extensive classroom is an innovative way of teaching that embraces an interactive learning approach, which is different from sitting in front of a lectern and lecturing to students in chairs. By dividing the groups into individual sections (groupings of 8), each has a monitor and whiteboard, groups can be interactive, and teachers can move between groups.  

Interactive learning classroom. Photo by Brad Feinknopf.

The design and construction were a team collaboration to realize OSU’s (and Frank Stanton Foundation’s) vision. BDA (Building Design for Animals) played a vital role in our team’s success with their knowledge of over 1,000 completed projects in animal care. 

Building Facts:

•Total SF: 34,000

•Year Designed: 2019-2020

•Year Completed: 2021

• Cost: $17 M

Team-Role:

Wellogy- Architect of Record

Bostwick Design Partnership- Design Architect

BDA- Small Animal Design Consultant

Korda- Survey and Civil Engineering

Jezerinac Geers- Structural Engineering

Osborn Engineering- MEP & Technology/ Security Engineering

Edge Group- Landscape Architecture

How do you say Wellogy?

Davis Wince, Ltd. is now Wellogy! Our new brand reflects who we are and who we aspire to become. Wellogy has an implied meaning, “study of well” – and well has multiple meanings to us including “in good health” as in well-being or wellness, “with skill or aptitude” as in doing an activity well, and “source, origin (of water)” and the notion of ‘drawing from the source’- addressing the inspirational nature and rigor of design. How do you say Wellogy? Watch our video to learn!

Buck Wince presents on Healthy Urbanism™ at BOMA 2019 Medical Office Buildings & Healthcare Real Estate Conference

Philip “Buck” Wince, Jr., AIA, LEED® AP is a featured panelist at the 2019 BOMA Medical Office Buildings & Healthcare Real Estate Conference, May 1-3 in Minneapolis, MN. The session titled, “Healthy Urbanism™: The Next Chapter in Healthcare Design” outlines the opportunities in planning and architecture to “create places of well being to enrich people’s lives,” according to Wince.

The annual BOMA conference hosts over 1,300 senior executives and professionals from hospital and health systems, developers, investors and lenders, property and facility managers, architects and design professionals, brokers and leasing agents, physician owners of real estate and health law and real estate attorneys.

Wince is the Founding Principal and President of Wellogy (formerly Davis Wince, Ltd.) an architecture and planning firm with offices in Ohio, Colorado and Florida. Wellogy trademarked the term Healthy Urbanism™ as it is the core driver and passion behind all of their projects. Healthy Urbanism™ is the integration of intentionally designed elements that enable communities to thrive and prosper. The result is improved physical health, accessibility to health care, healthy food, activity, and social interaction. Wellogy incorporates the core elements of Healthy Urbanism™ into every project they design. This can be as broad as developing a planned community with a hospital led medically integrated facility at the core, and as specific as designing buildings with healthy, sustainable materials that incorporate walking and bike paths. According to Wince, “no matter what the size of the project, the impact can be felt when the built environment is intentionally designed for wellness, creating a ripple effect that places a priority on health”.

Wellogy (formerly Davis Wince, Ltd.) is currently working with Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative (OLC) on The Lake Nona Center for Well Being, located in the heart of Lake Nona’s Medical City in Orlando, FL. The Center for Well Being is the seamless integration of a 130,000 sf, 3-story Wellness Center, a 120,000 sf, 5-story Medical Office Building, and 38,700 sf of Class A retail space. This unique, unprecedented architectural statement will serve as the wellness headquarters for a ground-up, master-planned development of housing, retail, corporate headquarters, entertainment, dining, education, hospitality and healthcare destined to be known as the healthiest community in America.

Buck Wince on Opportunities for Healthcare in Retail

by Jennifer M. Bobbitt

Wellogy (formerly Davis Wince, Ltd.) President and Founding Principal, Buck Wince recently attended the International Council of Shopping Centers’ RECon convention in Las Vegas, NV. Wince was part of a panel discussion that included Ethan Sullivan, Executive Director, Real Estate/ National Facilities Services at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Chad Pinnell, JLL Managing Director of Healthcare Solutions.

The panel addressed the opportunities in healthcare and retail as occupancy rates drop in malls and large retail areas. Strategically located in heavily populated areas, shopping centers and malls provide a valuable customer base for the competitive healthcare market. Wince is a noted speaker on the topic of “Healthcare as Retail” and was included in the panel to bring his unique perspective and passion to the subject.

It’s All About Location

Wince and Pinnell met while working on a previous project and clicked on their desire to create innovative and creative solutions to the challenges in the retail and healthcare markets. Wince and Pinnell previously presented at The American Marketing Association on the topic, “Healthcare Goes Retail.” According to Wince, “The opportunity for healthcare providers is to perfect a strategic process that delivers a well-located, convenient healthcare experience close to a complementary mix of consumer retail offerings. Today’s healthcare consumers have a choice. We want to make it easy for them to choose.”

Expanding Healthcare’s Reach

Over the past seven years, Wellogy has been heavily involved in innovative healthy community planning engagements. The firm has designed comprehensive, integrated outpatient healthcare facilities including Medically Integrated Fitness Center, FSED’s, Urgent Care, Multi-Specialty MOB’s, and ASC’s in mixed-use communities. Wellogy has branded the approach to creating healthy communities as Healthy Urbanism™. The passion behind Healthy Urbanism™ is a desire to affect the built environment by inspiring new solutions for the way we live. Wellogy designs environments to promote and encourage wellness.

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