Adaptive Reuse Accelerates Delivery Of Outpatient Facility For Sutter Health

By transforming an existing office building into a 3-story multispecialty clinic, Sutter Health and Taylor Design cut more than a year from the project schedule while creating a flexible, patient-centered care environment.

Published: July 28, 2026By Carrie Whitney

Anthony Lindsey

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Adaptive reuse of existing buildings into healthcare facilities continues to gain traction, offering potential benefits in cost and timeline as well as sustainability as less demolition debris is sent to landfills. Still, turning an existing structure into a new healthcare facility

This was the case when Sutter Health (Sacramento, Calif.) set its sights on renovating a vacant office building in Sacramento into a new ambulatory care center. “In response to rising demand for convenient, high-quality outpatient services, the organization prioritized speed to market, choosing to reposition an existing property rather than pursue new construction,” says Rachael McKinney, president, Greater Sacramento Division, Sutter Health (Sacramento).

Sutter Health purchased the 3-story, 70,000-square-foot building, which offered convenient access from multiple areas of the community, and engaged Taylor Design (Sacramento) to provide architecture, interior design, and medical planning services on the project.

The site’s “zoning readiness, parking capacity, visibility, accessibility, and long-term clinical viability” were key in its selection, McKinney says. The building’s structural framework also accommodated its conversion to healthcare use without extensive reconstruction. Large windows were preserved to maximize natural light and views, enhancing the experience for both patients and staff.

Addressing structural limitations in adaptive reuse projects

Opened in December 2025, the Sutter Arden Care Center brings 56 clinicians together under one roof. The building’s regular structural grid and open floor plates enabled standardized clinic modules, while the renovation preserved only the exterior walls, structural shear walls, elevator core, and egress stairs.

Working within the existing shell, the project team organized clinical services by function and patient demand. The first floor houses high-volume services requiring immediate access, including urgent care and laboratory services. Primary care occupies the second floor, while the third floor includes additional primary care clinics alongside behavioral health, dermatology, rheumatology, and endocrinology.

Caitlin Stevenson, principal and project executive at Taylor Design, says converting the office building into a medical facility required extensive upgrades to the building’s structure and infrastructure.

Specifically, the project team reinforced the roof diaphragm to support expanded mechanical systems, installed new HVAC infrastructure and a larger electrical transformer to meet increased power demands, strengthened the structure to accommodate advanced imaging equipment, and added a second elevator to handle the higher patient and staff traffic expected in the new medical facility.

Realizing time savings in adaptive reuse

Even with the necessary upgrades, Stevenson says utilizing an existing building accelerated project delivery, saving at least a year compared with new construction.

To further compress the schedule, the team divided the project into phases—demolition, structural improvements, and interior work— and separated the permitting process accordingly. This allowed construction activities to begin as each phase was approved rather than waiting for permits for the entire project. This incremental approach saved the team six months.

This incremental approach saved the team six months.

The project reached completion approximately 15 months after demolition was approved, says Stevenson. Beyond the accelerated delivery, the new facility has been well received. According to Sutter Health, the Arden Care Center accommodated more than 3,000 patient visits during its first week of operation.

Carrie Whitney is a freelance writer based in Atlanta and can be reached at [email protected].