Parker Performance Institute in Frisco, Texas, is billed as a first-of-its-kind sports and rehabilitation clinic where students, specialized clinicians, and chiropractic professionals apply neuroscience to physical rehabilitation. Offering high-tech, cutting-edge treatment, the facility combines the vibrant atmosphere of a training gym with the healing qualities of a spa.
The building is organized into two zones, each with a distinct character. The Open Performance Zone is a high-energy space embodying athleticism and vigor with dark metal accents, turf, digital displays, and a sense of expansiveness despite a relatively small, elongated space. Designers used mirrors, exposed structural components, and natural light to animate this half of the interior. This space emphasizes cutting-edge technology.
The interior is composed of healing and massage rooms, with bright tones and indirect, color-changing circadian lighting that is customizable for patients, offering a soothing retreat. The facility provides intuitive navigation with a continuous light running above the core circulation path that is defined by a detailed feature wall.
These features mark the transition from the communal, highly visible training area to the zone of private care. A pattern of wood slats along the wall—also incorporating metal mesh and steel trim—creates a warm material rhythm that guides patients through the full length of the space. Branching off the main path are clean, bright pods of exam rooms with neurological and visual equipment used for light therapy, vertigo treatment, and specialized treatments for PTSD patients.
Parker Performance uses advanced tools not commonly available in clinics, from dynamic posturography and virtual reality to 3D diagnostics. The design balances this tech-forward environment with human touches, not losing sight of the emotional side of performance and recovery.
Light is strategically layered throughout to ground the experience as you walk through the building. Tall windows pull sun into the open athletic zone and translucent materials transmit natural light deeper into the space offering privacy without losing the glow of daylight.
On the team:
Owner and/or developer: Parker University
Design architect: Perkins&Will
Architect of record: Perkins&Will
MEP engineer: Purdy-McGuire
General contractor/construction manager: Skiles Group
Related Stories
| Apr 11, 2014
ULI report documents business case for building healthy projects
Sustainable and wellness-related design strategies embody a strong return on investment, according to a report by the Urban Land Institute.
| Apr 10, 2014
Collegiate sports becoming greener: Survey
A survey conducted from May through June 2013 by the University of Arizona Office of Sustainability and published by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)* finds that more collegiate athletic teams are adopting green and sustainable practices in operation of their sports facilities.
| Apr 9, 2014
Colossal aquarium in China sets five Guinness World Records
With its seven salt and fresh water aquariums, totaling 12.87 million gallons, the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park is considered the world’s largest aquarium.
| Apr 9, 2014
Steel decks: 11 tips for their proper use | BD+C
Building Teams have been using steel decks with proven success for 75 years. Building Design+Construction consulted with technical experts from the Steel Deck Institute and the deck manufacturing industry for their advice on how best to use steel decking.
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 25, 2014
Sydney breaks ground on its version of the High Line elevated park [slideshow]
The 500-meter-long park will feature bike paths, study pods, and outdoor workspaces.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 13, 2014
Do you really 'always turn right'?
The first visitor center we designed was the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for the Everglades National Park in 1993. I remember it well for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the ongoing dialogue we had with our retail consultant. He insisted that the gift shop be located on the right as one exited the visitor center because people “always turn right.”
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
