Contrast in Figure & Colour

The Harvey Pediatric Clinic designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects is a progressive building that delivers a high-quality, efficient space

This new home of a thriving pediatric clinic based in Rogers, Arkansas, is situated in a land formerly dotted by silhouettes of singular objects such as barns, sheds, silos, RV vehicles and semi-trucks. The building is a silent yet strong contrast in figure and color to the excess of materials, weak forms, and beige tones that make up the surrounding suburban landscape. Its bold profile provides the Clinic’s identify while establishing a strong presence in the main commercial corridor in the area.

Cayenne-colored metal panel wraps the south elevation, which is lit from above along the edge with a skylight that stretches the length of the building. A portal at the ground floor creates a drop of area for patients under the elevated cayenne form. Tenant spaces on either side of the pass-through are wrapped in glass, providing a connection with the surrounding landscape and establishing visual and material separation from the upper floor.


Entering the building from the portal, one ascends a stair that is embedded in the “foot” of the structure. Blue glass in the skylight above washes the stair with blue light. The color creates a vertical threshold that suggests a place of healing. Fins along the eastern glass wall guard the interior from excessive solar exposure.


Sixteen exam rooms are organized along a loop corridor creating a simple circulation path from waiting room and check-in to the exam room and to the check-out. Skylights over the two nurses’ stations bring ample natural light into the center of the building.

The west end of the building houses the Clinic’s administrative functions. The Flex Space is the hub for the administrative staff. The double-height space is capped by the pop-up along the south half of the building, which contributes to the bold, figural shape and holds a mezzanine – a private break room – with a wall of glass to the north, allowing light to wash the interior and providing a visual connection to the sky. A break room for the staff at the west end of the ground floor looks out onto a small porch and garden.

The cayenne metal panel is a custom color that was developed specifically for the project. A standard, weathered zinc metal panel is used on the north side of the building, which is formally quieter yet abstract in its detailing. A ribbon window reinforces the horizontality of the form and the darker, cool gray recedes, giving emphasis to the saturated, warm color used on the south figure. A flat metal panel profile is used on the west elevation and soffit, while a box rib metal panel profile lends a subtle texture to the north and south elevations. Custom break metal trims are used throughout, allowing the detailing of the skin to reinforce the abstract quality of the building’s shape.

Credits	Pulls: Hager
Client: Dr. Bryan Harvey	Security devices: Best Access Systems
Owner: Pediatric Workplaces, LLC	Acoustical ceilings: CertainTeed
Gross square footage: 15,493 SF	Suspension grid: CertainTeed
Total construction cost: $2,989,058	Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Kitchen Distributors
Mechanical, Electical, Plumbing: HP Engineering, Inc	Paints and stains: Sherwin Williams
Structural: Tatum Smith Engineers, Inc	Plastic laminate: Pionite
Civil: Bates & Associates, Inc.	Resilient flooring: Johnsonite
Landscape Design: Stuart Fulbright	Carpet: JJ Invision
General contractor: SSI, Inc	Downlights: Juno (Recessed Cans); Forum (Recessed Linear); Coronet (Troffer)
Photographer: Timothy Hursley	Exterior: Juno
Structural System: Steel frame with composite decking - Fig Tree Inc (Subcontractor)	Dimming system/lighting controls: Leviton
Exterior Cladding: Metal panels: Morin	Elevators/escalators: Otis
Roofing: Membrane Roof: Firestone Building Products	Drinking Fountain: Elkay
Glazing: Storefront: Kawneer and Ace Glass (Subcontractor)	Lavatory: American Standard
Entrance Doors: Kawneer	Water Closets: American Standard
Wood doors: Marshfield Door Systems	Sinks: Elkay
Locksets: Hager	Faucets: Symmon
Closers: Hager / LCN	Exit devices: Kawneer