Volunteers from the Design and Construction Community Celebrate with Share Our Selves
Team members from several of the region’s leading architectural and construction firms, including TAYLOR, Suffolk-Roel, C.W. Driver and Questar joined their collaborators from Hoag Hospital’s Real Estate, Facilities, Construction, and Operations (REFCO) and Share Our Selves (SOS) to celebrate the completion of the redesign of the SOS facilities in Costa Mesa on Friday, August 19. What began as a “paint-up, fix-up” project to update the image of the busy 13,000 square foot clinic and social services center evolved into a full-scale renovation and a remarkable collaboration that brought the design and construction community together to create a functional, patient-centric design that reflects the SOS culture of respect, dignity, and professionalism. The official celebration marked the completion of over a year of planning and four months of construction for the design and constructions team but it is just the beginning for the individuals and families that depend on SOS. Early responses to the renovation have been rewarding. Karen McGlinn related the comments from a patient using the “new” clinic for the first time. “I feel so rich now,” she said. As do the volunteers who made it possible.
The end results — from the new entrance and facade to updated registration and checkout areas, improved client/patient experience, confidentiality and privacy, upgraded volunteer, staff and donation/receiving areas and a refreshed brand graphics and logo — are as remarkable as the unprecedented effort. In addition to the generous donations of time, materials and furnishing — the team tapped into the artistic community who responded with equal enthusiasm. Artwork from local artists Ruben Acosta, Irene Abraham, Bill Couture, Bill Quiriam and Laurie Zagon enliven the walls. Dylan Tellesen, a Chico, CA based artist, donated a custom mural that depicts the SOS story with images of past and present.