Press Releases June 4, 2024

Whitman-Walker’s New Max Robinson Center Receives a Positive Community Response

The Saint Elizabeths East location expands community health care and promotes inclusivity by design.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients and staff at the recently opened Max Robinson Center—a five-story health care and research facility for Whitman-Walker, designed by Perkins&Will—are reporting feelings of belonging and enhanced well-being as a result of their experiences there. Whitman-Walker is a nonprofit that has provided relief for persistent health disparities and service delivery inequities in Washington, D.C. for the last 50 years. The Max Robinson Center, which opened in August 2023, was designed specifically to expand care capabilities and support health equity in Wards 7 and 8.

“From the outset of the project, Whitman-Walker wanted a facility that reflected a seamless and integrated service of care, incorporated a plan for flexibility and resilience, and celebrated their diverse patients, providers, and staff,” says Nancy Gribeluk, the Managing Principal from Perkins&Will. “The positive response to the Max Robinson Center underscores the need for more community health facilities that address inclusivity and prioritize patient well-being.”

The Max Robinson Center is Perkins&Will’s third project with the nonprofit. Its design takes inspiration from Whitman-Walker’s commitment to the communities they serve, reflected in their motto, “We See You.” To the LGBTQ+, minority, and at-risk patients that receive lifesaving care and support services there, Whitman-Walker is a safe place of acceptance. To honor the positive impact Whitman-Walker embodies, the Max Robinson Center creates flexible spaces that provide ease, security, and dignity for practitioners, staff, and patients.

Design That Expands Care

In 2023, Whitman-Walker served approximately 18,000 patients and provided care around the D.C. community through more than 132,000 unique visits. Since opening last fall, Whitman-Walker’s patient volume is now 2.5x higher than what it had it its former (and smaller) Max Robinson Center health facility in southeast D.C., and its percentage increase in clinical encounters is 145%. In April of 2024, they saw the most patients in the history of the Center, and the numbers keep rising month after month.

For over fifty years, Whitman-Walker has been part of the fabric of the local Washington, DC community as well as to our nation as first responder and care-provider for those living with HIV.

Whitman-Walker envisions a society where all people are seen for who they are, treated with dignity and respect, and afforded equal opportunity to health and wellbeing.

The design celebrates the local community and honors their resilience with photography.

Environmental graphic design throughout the building further reinforces identity.

“The Max Robinson Center is the realization of a more than decades-long dream for Whitman-Walker,” says Whitman-Walker Health CEO Naseema Shafi. “Perkins&Will’s design process, including learning about the health disparities which face residents of Ward 8, helped us deliver a truly purposeful space. Our collective opportunity to address systemic barriers to health care combines affirming and contextual design with a best-in-class health care team. We are so proud of the Max Robinson Center and what we will achieve here.”

Service offerings at the 77,402-square-foot Center include: HIV care, youth and family support, gender affirming care, behavioral health counseling, dental health, legal services, and insurance navigation. On-site lab facilities create an opportunity for continued investment in vital biomedical and applied research in HIV treatment and prevention.

The Center is laid out in a modular grid of medical units, or pods, where rooms and spaces can shift in the future to meet evolving needs. This model creates a flexible and adaptable approach to health care, allowing for expansion as the needs of the nonprofit change. An on-site pharmacy offers discreet and convenient prescription, over the counter, and delivery services to patients and the surrounding community.

Design That Reflects Community

Whitman-Walker wanted the Max Robinson Center to celebrate the soul, grit, and promise of Southeast Washington, D.C. This led Perkins&Will to the concept of “Close-Knit Care for a Colorful Community,” with staff and patient spaces containing references to familiar neighborhood landmarks. Welcome areas evoke “the market,” where goods and information are exchanged; staff spaces are inspired by “the park” to create a sense of respite and provide visual connections to nature. Custom printed wallcoverings are layered with images of patients and staff, like painted murals along busy “block” intersections. Meeting and conference rooms signify the “town hall,” where the community comes together to share ideas.

“The design reflects the history of the local community by honoring their resilience,” states Perkins&Will interior designer David Cordell. “By celebrating the architectural vernacular of the neighborhood, the design is familiar and makes patients feel welcomed and valued. We drew inspiration from the front porches of nearby houses, the pavilion of the local farmers market, and the streetball courts.”

Perkins&Will designed wall coverings, memorabilia photography, and multiple photo murals of Max Robinson. The Southeast neighborhood’s historic roots and unique identity within D.C.’s urban fabric are celebrated through local “hero” graphics, traditional patterns and colors, and a variety of imagery and artifacts curated by Whitman-Walker’s community advisory council. Patients who formerly only used tele-health services now love visiting: “It’s beautiful, peaceful, and everyone is welcoming,” says one community member.

Design That Promotes Well-Being & Inclusion

The opening of the Max Robinson Center coincided with Whitman-Walker’s 50-year anniversary, creating an opportunity to take stock of progress made in the fight against HIV-AIDS as well as LGBTQ+ discrimination over the last half century. Perkins&Will and Whitman-Walker strove to create a healthy physical environment that felt both accepting and safe, a physical testament to progress made over the last half century.

Client Service areas on each floor at the Max Robinson Center include acoustic finishes and gradient glass dividers to ensure patient privacy and create a secure environment. Indoor air quality is improved by high air exchange rates and healthy materials choices for finishes and furnishings. Spaces for staff were designed to promote collaboration and respite through access to natural daylight and places to informally gather and rest. Visitors and patients are greeted in the main building lobby by a concierge that helps them navigate the building. The building is on track to receive LEED Gold certification.

“By prioritizing visibility, acceptance, and well-being in our designs, we contribute to the de-stigmatization of healthcare in marginalized communities and create spaces that act as conduits for healing and progress,” states Chris Morrison, Managing Director of Perkins&Will’s D.C. studio.

Whitman-Walker’s New Max Robinson Center Receives a Positive Community Response

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