University of Rochester Medical Center - Saunder Center for Orthopaedics & Physical Performance

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Saunder Center for Orthopaedics & Physical Performance creates a new paradigm for comprehensive outpatient care through the adaptive reuse of a former Sears store at the Marketplace Mall outside of Rochester, NY. This $135million, 372,400-square-foot facility integrates 227,000 square feet of repurposed space with 145,400 square feet of new construction, including a multi-story clinic tower. Completed in 2023, the project represents a transformative approach to healthcare delivery, creating one of the largest orthopaedic outpatient centers in the Northeast.

The center features a 135,500-square-foot ambulatory surgery facility with eight advanced operating rooms, including the country’s first self-cleaning Clean Cube OR and an innovative air delivery system to enhance infection control. Additional highlights include 53,400 square feet of therapy space, two therapy pools, 160 exam rooms, a prosthetics lab, a skills lab, and state-of-the-art imaging services with two MRI and one CT scan room. A 12,600-square-foot courtyard introduces natural light to the physical therapy program, enhancing the patient experience while fostering a sense of calm and comfort. Strategically located in a suburban mall with public transit access, the project promotes healthcare equity by making services more accessible to underserved communities. The familiar mall setting further reduces patient intimidation, transforming perceptions of healthcare spaces into welcoming, community-centric environments. The adaptive reuse of the Sears building leveraged its open column grid and high ceilings, enabling seamless integration of high-tech medical spaces. The reuse strategy also shortened construction timelines, minimized costs, and aligned with URMC’s operational goals. The design is inspired by the intersection of program and context: the idea of movement of the human body as addressed by orthopaedics, and the way that photography, with its rich heritage in Rochester, can capture that motion through a series of exposures. The sculptural exterior language of curving white metal panels unifies existing and new components of the project to create a distinctive new identity for the traditionally red-brick URMC. The interior expression is more episodic, featuring a warm, textured palette that balances the taught, cool exterior and creates a crisp, 'northern' aesthetic that emphasizes simplicity and natural light. Design elements throughout the facility evoke movement and vitality, emphasizing physical performance and rehabilitation. This project demonstrates the potential of repurposing retail spaces into critical health hubs, offering an innovative model for healthcare infrastructure that blends functionality, sustainability, and patient-centered design.