Reflecting Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to wellness and environmental responsibility, Mahan Rykiel prepared landscape plans for two medical office buildings in Maryland with a focus on the experience of patients, staff and visitors.
Expansion of the 14.7-acre Largo campus includes an addition to the existing medical center and a new parking garage. MRA’s landscape design focuses on providing access to nature, both physically and visually. The plan incorporates a walking path around the site that connects to local pedestrian circulation and natural woodland. Additional elements include: flow-through planters that provide visual interest and improve water quality; a cistern that harvests runoff from the parking garage and recycles it for irrigation; a courtyard serving as an area of respite; bio-filtration plantings; space for a weekly farmer’s market; and native plantings for minimal maintenance.
The 37-acre Gaithersburg campus renovation includes similar elements. A walking path winds through an existing meadow and provides pedestrian connections to the adjacent neighborhood. A future construction phase will incorporate a healing garden and labyrinth.
