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Bye-bye, big-box retailer. Hello, family medical center. But turning an easily recognizable former home of a national retailer into a neighborhood nonprofit clinic in Salem was easier said than done, until a project team that included Clark/Kjos Architects and general contractor Triplett Wellman got involved.

Working with a shoestring budget meant a fancy facelift for the bland exterior of the building was out of the question. So the project team turned, instead, to a simple solution: It reinterpreted the outside of the building with paint and color patterns.

A similar dialogue was continued inside the building. Minimal framing and economic materials were called into play. An element of daylighting was even added in the form of an interior courtyard with calculated cut-openings, without adding extra cost to the project.

In the end, the fast-track construction schedule was completed on time for less than $80 per square foot, easily meeting Willamette Family Medical Center’s financial goals for its new home.