Office Space Planning and Design for Medical
Practices: Part 2, Remodel or Build New
Richard C. Haines, Jr.* and Larry R. Brooks*
T
he decision to build anew or remodel/add-on to your existing
facility can be a tough one. Your practice could possibly have
multiple levels of ownership, equity, or lack of equity in the ex-
isting facility, emotional ties to the current location or building,
etc. This article will deal with just how a practice makes that
decision.
Key words: Medical practice facilities; building; remodeling.
Editor's note: In this issue, we present the second of four articles that describe the process of evaluating space needs, plan-
ning, and construction for medical offices (see Volume 18, Pages 244249.). Although some readers may not currently be
contemplating remodeling or new construction for their practices, we believe the points described will be of value for un-
derstanding the intricacies of the process. (Parenthetically, they are useful as a background even for home improvements!)
INTRODUCTION
Consider the loss in revenues by shutting down your
current facility or decreasing its efficiency during any tran-
In the previous article in this series, we focused on
sition periods, whether moving to a new site on remod-
assessing your current practice. At this point, you should
eling in a current location. To determine this, the practice
have an idea of how to determine not only the goals and
needs to look at both the functionality as well as the eco-
objectives of your practice but also the facility require-
nomics of the change. We need to discuss a few concepts
ments to achieve them. As the decision-making flow chart
that apply to all the options, to one degree or another.
illustrates, the next step in the process is to decide how
those requirements are achieved (Fig. 1).
Parking
Unless you are in a dense, urban area (e.g., New
REMODEL OR BUILD NEW?
York City, downtown Chicago), you need to have parking
for your patient, your staff, and yourself. Make sure your
Typically, a practice has four available options when
new practice entity has adequate parking. Check the zon-
deciding on facility changes:
ing requirements. When in doubt, allow one parking space
1. Remodel/add-on to the existing facility.
per 200 square feet of building/suite size.
2. Acquire and convert an existing building.
3. Buy land and build a new facility.
Economic Pro Forma
4. Do nothing at all.
This is a tool that is used to identify and test the po-
The option you choose should:
tential costs of pursuing your objectives. In terms of just
· achieve the objectives;
the cost of a project, the following are typical categories
· be easily accomplished; and
in which you may have development costs:
· cost the least in terms of expenditures and dislocations.
· Land value: If building new, you have to own or con-
trol the land, and that land has value. It is part of your
development economics.
· Existing building value: If your project is a renovation,
*Senior Medical Planning Consultants, Medical Design International, 2100
East Exchange Place, Suite 400, Tucker, GA 30084; telephone: 770-939-
then the building you are changing has value. Include
7950; fax: 770-939-7522; E-mail: haines@mdiatlanta.com.
Copyright 2003 by Greenbranch Publishing LLC.
it in your assessment.
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