EnSite recycled, reused and repurposed its way to a big win for the stunning steel and glass building that houses McGregor Boulevard Veterinary Clinic, which was named the 2017 General Practice Hospital of the Year in Veterinary Economics’ Hospital Design Competition. The two-story, 9,000-square-foot clinic was completed in October of 2014, representing total costs of more than $3.5 million, and houses two veterinary associates and 16 support staff personnel. As noted in Veterinary Economics’ magazine dvm360, the project won over the judges with its emphasis on the wellbeing of staff, patients and families; the abundance of natural light to accelerate patient healing; and a focus on green building techniques and sustainable features.

 

The Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects also recognized the clinic with an award for its thoughtful integration with the natural environment, including rain gardens and the integration of our native landscape. Unusual for a privately owned facility in any industry, the site provides users with a public park. Bicycle parking encourages staff to bike to work while acknowledging McGregor Boulevard as the iconic thoroughfare that lends Fort Myers its moniker, City of Palms. The site includes 16 new royal palm trees and Dwarf Fakahatchee grass, another plant native to the region.

 

Before the McGregor Boulevard Veterinary Clinic captured the attention of the design competition judges, the project made Fort Myers history. Once host to gladiolus fields and citrus groves, the site lies on the transitional threshold between a commercial district and a medium density residential district. It is the first project to be re-zoned, designed and constructed under the new form-based code in this municipality.