Dove Springs Public Health Center

Owner: City of Austin
Architect: Marmon Mok

With a focus on meeting long-standing community needs, the City of Austin set out to create a facility in the city’s southeast region to bring vital healthcare and support resources to the area. SpawGlass-Austin teamed up with Marmon Mok in a design-build partnership and, as a result of the intentional design of this unique facility, it will be held as a standard for future public health facilities in the works all around the city.

The new Dove Springs Public Health Center is a two-level, 23,000-square-foot multi-use building with a variety of indoor and outdoor amenities. Among the services offered are a women’s and children’s clinic, immunization clinic, childcare center and nutrition services, including a food pantry and a demonstration kitchen where cooking classes are held. Outside, a unique reclaimed water system features a rain garden designed to capture stormwater runoff, redistributing the water for natural irrigation of the landscaping and large open play fields. In keeping with the City of Austin’s green initiatives, the building’s energy-efficient design contributes to its anticipated LEED Silver certification.

Though initially approved through a bond passed in 2018, budget constraints delayed the onset of the facility’s construction for years. That’s where the SpawGlass-Austin team stepped in, playing a key role in the design process by providing practical, cost-effective solutions that would allow the project to move forward. In total, more than 10 design options were presented to the City of Austin before the final plan was approved. Project Manager Jeremy Spade highlighted the collaboration involved in the project, stating, “We worked as a single entity, focusing our efforts on navigating financial complexities with the shared goal of building a resource that will best serve this community.”

As with any project, there were challenges along the way, which our team met with pragmatic solutions. As the construction process began, the team discovered they would need to rebuild the site’s energy infrastructure due to the presence of an existing duct bank owned by a local utility company. Coordinating with the utility company in the project’s early stages helped to lessen potential delays. The team also used forward thinking to manage the budget by identifying potential cost inflations and enacting early buyouts of materials to mitigate rising prices. These measures resulted in significant savings that were then redistributed during construction.

This project was a special one for the SpawGlass-Austin team. In an area of the city where many residents rely on public transportation and the closest public health resources were formerly nearly an hour away, the team understood the importance of creating a space where community members could access the care and services they deserve, close to home. Every decision made was driven by the desire to create a space that would enrich the lives of the community members it serves. The design and construction of the new Dove Springs Public Health Center demonstrates the transformative potential of living teamwork and the lasting impact our dedication can have on a community.