The UC Davis Health Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute offers hope to the vision-impaired by providing advanced technology, pioneering research, and world-class eye care. Designed by HGA, in partnership with TEF, the building consolidates the UC Davis Health Eye Center’s strengths under one roof, including optometry, ophthalmology, clinical research, training, and departmental offices.
Funded by a significant donation from Ernest E. Tschannen, who had his sight restored by a clinician at the center and contributions from UC Davis Medical Center and other donors, the building integrates a partial renovation of an existing ambulatory care center with a major new addition. The design approach began with close collaboration with the Eye Center’s clinicians and scientists to meet their unique needs. Architect Chris Downey, who lost his sight in 2008, provided valuable insights on designing for the vision-impaired, helping to implement empathic design principles.
The patient-focused design offers a comfortable and intuitive experience. From the exterior, the building stands out within the medical campus with its warm, nature-toned materials and dynamic glass curtain wall, creating a welcoming and uplifting environment. Inside, the design facilitates wayfinding with a unified circulation spine connecting the new building with the renovated areas, running parallel to an exterior landscaped promenade. The use of standardized, multi-functional room sizes allows for flexible clinic reconfiguration over time.
The building incorporates several patient-centered components, including high-contrast colors and textures for better wayfinding, comfortable common spaces with home-like furnishings, and biophilic elements like natural daylighting and views connecting patients with nature. These design choices are particularly critical for the sight-impaired population, reducing anxiety and improving health outcomes. Additional amenities include an optical shop, an outdoor terrace, and an exterior promenade connected to the parking structure, featuring artwork, wall seating, and lighting.
Kyle Jeffers
The Ernest E. Tschannen Eye Institute Building offers state-of-the-art facilities for the Eye Center’s world-class clinicians to provide transformational eye care and to train future ophthalmologists to treat generations of patients.
Team:
HGA: Architects
TEF: Interior Design / Medical Planning
McCarthy Construction: General Contractor
Vanir: Construction Managem, Civil Engineering
Buehler: Structural Engineering
Quadriga: Landscape Architecture
The Engineering Enterprise: Electrical Engineering
Guttman & Blaevoet: Mechanical Engineering and Plumbing
The Acoustics and Vibration Group, Inc.: Acoustics Consulting.
Photographer: Kyle Jeffers
Materials Used:
Acoustic Ceiling Tile: Optima, Calla High CAC, Armstrong
Carpet: Paris Tweed, Repose, Outlier, Drumline, Bentley Mills
Counter tops: Designer White Acrylic, Pompeii Quartz, Bodega Quartz, Hot Stone, Wilsonart
Decorative Glazing: Varia Ecoresin, 3form
Exterior Cladding: Composite Wall Panels, Fundermax
Fabric & Acoustics: Xorel Artform, Puracoustic, Carnegie
Fabric: Upholsteries, ArcCom, Momentum, DesignTex
Fiber Reinforced Laminate Panels: Love Letters, Pionite
Fiber Reinforced Laminate Panels: White Twill, Formica
Flooring: Amtico, Nature’s Paths, Northern Wonder, Biospec MD, Mannington
Flooring: Static Dissipative Floor Tile, Armstrong
Furniture: Steelcase
Laminate: Old friend, Pionite
Laminate: White Twill, Graphite Twill, Formica
Paint: Interior Painting, Sherwin Williams
Tile: Altered State, Crossville
Tile: 3d Flows, Atlas Concorde
Toilet Partitions: Sierra Series, Bobrick
Wood Paneling: Shinnoki
Walk-Off Carpet Tile: Ruffian II, Mannington
Wall Base; Rubber wall base, Tarkett
Wall Protection: CS Acrovyn
Wallcovering: Bespoke Wall, Knoll Textiles
Window Treatments: Solar Roller Shades, Draper
