Taylor Design Partners with Sutter Health in Optimizing Design Standards for New Comprehensive Community Healthcare Center in Sacramento
Sacramento, CA – Taylor Design announced the completion of the new Sutter Arden Care Center, a state-of-the-art facility that sets a benchmark for the healthcare system’s design standards in Northern California. Conveniently located near a major freeway, the center offers comprehensive primary and specialty care services in a welcoming, community-focused setting. Bringing together 56 clinicians under one roof, the Sutter Arden Care Center supports an integrated model of care that expands access to convenient, nationally recognized healthcare. The facility builds on the organization’s longstanding legacy in Sacramento, where Sutter has served the community for more than a century.
An adaptive reuse of an underutilized office building, the 70,000 square-foot facility was renovated to meet current healthcare standards and designed to accommodate Sutter Health’s present and future space needs. Upgrades included structural improvements and modernized building systems, ensuring a safe and efficient environment for patients and staff.
As part of Sutter Health’s broader effort to expand care centers across Northern California, Taylor Design served as the architect of record for the new Sutter Arden Care Center. The team collaborated closely with Sutter in the rollout of their new design standards, refining the guidelines and implementing them in real time, while tailoring the design to the unique character of the site to create an inviting community experience.
“We were given a unique opportunity to team with Sutter Health in one of the first implementations of their new design standards,” said Stephanie L’Estrange, principal and director of design with Taylor Design. “As a firm that specializes in optimizing healthcare design standards through the incorporation of our expertise in patient and provider experience, we were able to guide and enhance the design of the new facility to best serve the community.”
Designing for Comfort, Healing and Connection
From the outset, Taylor Design focused on design elements to provide a calm and welcoming environment. The center features an open, human-scale design complemented by local artwork and views of surrounding nature. Every detail is thoughtfully curated to make patients and families feel at home in a space that reflects Sutter Health’s brand while delivering a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to healing and wellness.
Upon arrival through the main entry, visitors are greeted with a welcoming double-height atrium showcasing an artistic lighting sculpture and views to the second floor, creating a sense of openness and certainty. A large hand-painted mural along the main staircase features trees and vines, symbolizing life and wellness. An elevator in the main lobby is lined with bright teal accent tiles contributing to ease in wayfinding and blending with Sutter Health’s signature colors, incorporated throughout the facility. Warm wood accents bring a home-like, approachable atmosphere.
Natural light fills patient corridors and waiting spaces, with views of surrounding nature offering a sense of calm and grounding. Large banquette seating faces full-height windows throughout the waiting areas, while carefully curated art offers positive distractions and fosters a sense of connection to the community.
Thoughtful Layout and Comprehensive Services
The three-story facility is organized for clarity and convenience. The first floor offers urgent care, imaging, and laboratory services and the second floor consists of primary care services. Enhanced wayfinding provides intuitive navigation from shared waiting spaces and consistency throughout. Gradient window film treatments line sensitive patient spaces, balancing visibility and privacy.
Designed to meet OSHPD-3 requirements, the third floor includes additional primary care services, along with behavioral health, dermatology, rheumatology, and endocrinology, rounding out the comprehensive health care facility.
Efficiency and Speed to Market
To meet evolving community needs quickly, the project team leveraged prefabricated wall panels and advanced 3D building information modeling, reducing the construction schedule to just 12 months. A consistent clinic module offers flexibility to accommodate future needs.
The Sutter Arden Care Center officially opened its doors to patients on December 8, positioning itself as a cornerstone of accessible, high-quality healthcare for years to come.
Taylor Design served as the architect of record, in addition to providing medical planning and interior design services. Additional project partners included: S+B James Construction, general contractor; Intech, mechanical & plumbing engineering; Siegfried Engineering, Inc., civil & structural engineering; Criterion, medical equipment planning; Schetter Electric, electrical engineering; WeidnerCA, signage; Western States Fire Protection, fire protection; Resonance Acoustics, acoustic consulting; Grigio Art, art consulting; and Seats and Stations, furniture vendor.
About Taylor Design
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