RIVERSIDE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER CAFETERIA & KITCHEN BUILDING

A deteriorating floor slab in the Riverside Regional Medical Center kitchen created a window of opportunity to modernize the hospital’s food service facilities. Because the facility operates seven days a week, year-round, it would be a great challenge to improve the space without disrupting food service operations. However, since the damaged floor slab would necessitate intervention anyway, the hospital chose to expand the project to include interior updates as well as larger-scale kitchen improvements.

An original building used for meetings and an emergency call center was demolished and a new kitchen building was built atop the existing foundation – saving time in the building permit process and bypassing the need for a site plan review. The newly designed space allowed the hospital to implement a new “At Your Request” food service delivery model, similar to hotel room service. While the new model did not require additional space, it did demand a carefully structured layout to provide greater efficiency in preparing patient meals.

The newly renovated dining area features full height windows with tranquil views of a new garden which wraps around two sides of the space. Casual lounge seating close to windows allows for intimate conversations, long communal tables accommodate groups and staff meetings, and banquette seating provides space for comfortable meals. New bar seating with built-in charging ports is situated behind a glass dividing wall - providing for quick, stop-and-go eating and checking of email and phone messages. The interior materials are warm and contemporary, and translate the model of casual dining into a hospital cafeteria setting. A curving glass dividing wall separates the bar from the dining area and also delineates the serving/check-out space.

In addition to the requirement of keeping food service operation facilities operational throughout construction, the design team also faced challenging budget and project site limitations. Sited adjacent to the hospital's main entrance, the new kitchen strikes a balance between foreground and backdrop - becoming gradually screened by the surrounding garden. Clerestory windows were installed to provide daylight in the kitchen and interior lights were dropped down below the window height to soften the light from the exterior view. The renovated cafeteria and kitchen provide the medical center with up-to-date facilities and reclaim a high profile section of the campus for renewed pedestrian interaction. The project also included a renovation of the food service offices.