Modern Building As a Metaphor for Healthy Skin: Obagi Skin Health Institute

Obagi Skin Health Institute in Laguna Beach, California showcases an interesting architecture that comes to show how visual appeal is important whether we’re talking about skin or design. Designed by Horst Architects, this medical boutique, retail and educational facility was built for ZO Skin Health. An authority in cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Zein Obagicreated the standards by which skin conditions can be treated regardless of skin color or age, making him an innovator through his teachings of how to maintain a healthy skin.

This skin health institute boasts a modern architecture that mirrors the doctor’s focus on living a fulfilled life in a healthy skin. Shapes displayed by this building, as well as the materials used to build it were used to hint to what goes on inside: “Two principal walls of silver travertine organize the interior and exterior spaces while also reflecting the subtle, corporeal contours of the skin. Natural light enters the interior spaces through continuous fissures where these walls meet the ceiling planes. The wood planks are composed of a sustainable and maintenance free composition of wood-based fibers and thermosetting resins. The soft, warm tactile quality of the wood planks create a sensuous juxtaposition to the stone. Smooth, integrally colored stucco walls are the more neutral, connective tissue between the stone and wood plank walls. A central feature in the entry sequence is a green, living wall wall which morphs into a beguiling face.”