Dena’ina Wellness Center

The Dena’ina Wellness Center is a 52,000 square foot outpatient medical clinic located in Kenai, Alaska.  The facility, located on a brownfield site in “Old Town” Kenai, is set to achieve LEED Silver certification.

This facility was designed and constructed to an architectural and cultural standard previously not found in the region, incorporating many elements traditionally recognizable to the local Dena’ina community, including: exterior structural bracing designed to appear as tribal fish drying racks, extensive architectural use of 95 year-old reclaimed wood from a local salmon cannery, and interior signage translated into the Dena’ina language.

The Dena’ina Wellness Center provides a wide range of services to the local community including primary care and minor procedures, physical therapy, behavioral health, radiology, laboratory, pharmacy, and open & closed dental operatories.   In addition, the facility offers traditional healing services and a large gathering area and demonstration kitchen to accommodate cultural assemblies.  The exterior of the building was given special care to convey a sense that the structure naturally fit on the coastal bluff on which it is located, incorporating sand dunes, beach rye grass and other indigenous plantings, and driftwood logs.   The project was completed on time and under budget.