OC Health Care Agency

Overview

The OC Health Care Agency brings public health, emergency response, and civic service together in a future-ready campus built for community resilience.

Location

Irvine, California

Client

Orange County Public Works

Expertise

[FPO] Government [FPO] Defense Healthcare Sciences Brand Design Government & Defense [FPO] Architectural Design [FPO] Interior Design

Opportunity

Orange County needed to replace aging, dispersed facilities with one adaptable campus capable of supporting 24/7 public health operations.

Community health hubs are becoming primary anchors of care. The County of Orange sought to consolidate critical services, including Emergency Medical Services, a Public Health Laboratory, pharmacy, administrative divisions, and the Agency Operations Center, into one unified campus. Located across from the Orange County Great Park on the site of a former Marine Corps Air Station, the facility needed to improve operational efficiency while supporting long-term adaptability, sustainability, and emergency readiness.

Why This Matters

01
Emergency Readiness
The campus supports 24/7 operations for essential public health services, strengthening Orange County’s ability to coordinate response during urgent community health events.
02
Unified Public Service
Bringing previously dispersed departments into one building improves proximity, shared resources, and coordination for teams serving the Orange County community.
03
Long-Term Adaptability
Flexible planning, emergency-ready infrastructure, and space reserved for future expansion help the facility respond to evolving public health needs.

FPO Quote

Solution

A consolidated, human-centered design-build approach turned a complex civic program into one legible, resilient, and welcoming public health campus.

Gensler delivered a fully integrated campus through a collaborative design-build process. A bright lobby, intuitive wayfinding, and shared amenities create a transparent, welcoming experience for public health workers. The wing-shaped building form acknowledges the site’s aviation history, while materials reflect the surrounding landscape. Modular planning, secure airflows, and space reserved for future expansion support adaptability. High-performance systems, all-electric infrastructure, and native landscaping reinforce long-term resilience.

Months Design-Build Delivery Duration

46%

Total Reduction in Water Use

70K

Square-Feet

Months Design-Build Delivery Duration

46%

Total Reduction in Water Use

70K

Square-Feet

From brief to build: how an integrated team shaped an emergency-ready public health campus through collaborative programming and design-build delivery.

The team used an integrated process to align public health operations, specialized laboratory requirements, emergency response needs, and fiscal stewardship. Stakeholder engagement included public health officials, EMS professionals, lab personnel, facilities teams, architects, builders, and subject matter experts. The process supported early consensus around workflows, adjacencies, safety protocols, flexibility, and user experience, while tools such as budget tracking and early trade coordination helped the team maintain schedule and budget discipline.

Contextual Relationship

Situated on Great Park's southern edge, the site extends park landscapes and paths while stepping building massing down toward the Metrolink corridor.

Impact

Delivered on time and on budget, the campus strengthens emergency readiness while creating a dignified workplace for essential public health teams.

By consolidating four specialized departments into one vertical facility, the project reduced its footprint by over 30%, lowering construction, material, and infrastructure demands.

What Changed Because of This

01
Public Readiness
The campus supports 24/7 operations and coordinated emergency response, strengthening Orange County’s ability to serve residents during public health crises.
02
Workplace Experience
Daylight, biophilic strategies, ergonomic planning, and shared amenities create a more connected and dignified workplace for essential public health teams.
03
Water Stewardship
Drought-tolerant landscaping, recycled water strategies, and efficient fixtures contribute to a 46% total reduction in water use.

Recognition

Design-Build Institute of America

Recognized OC Health Care Agency with a 2025 National Award of Merit for Best in VDC.

AIA Orange County

Recognized OC Health Care Agency with a 2025 Merit Design Award in the Commercial/Built category.

Engineering News-Record

Listed OC Health Care Agency as a Southern California Excellence in Safety Award of Merit recipient.

Team

Project Leadership

Peter Barsuk

Peter is a principal and studio director in Gensler’s Los Angeles office, where he leads public and private sector work across civic, government, education, residential, health care, life sciences and cultural projects.

[FPO] David Johnson

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[FPO] Susan Lai

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Ryley Poblete

As a Regional and Global Sciences Leader, Ryley leverages his strategic and planning experience with innovative ecosystems, and a wide range of science, technology, academic, institutional, and manufacturing environments, addressing their distinct needs and challenges at multiple scales.

FAQ

Where is OC Health Care Agency located?

OC Health Care Agency is located in Irvine, California, across from the Orange County Great Park, on the site of a former Marine Corps Air Station.

Who designed OC Health Care Agency?

Gensler designed the OC Health Care Agency campus through a collaborative design-build approach.

What services does the campus support?

The campus supports Emergency Medical Services, a Public Health Laboratory, pharmacy, administrative divisions, and the Agency Operations Center.

How does the project support emergency readiness?

The facility is designed for 24/7 operations, including emergency response functions and a Public Health Laboratory with Biosafety Lab capabilities.

How does the project support sustainability?

The project includes high-performance systems, all-electric infrastructure, native landscaping, and water strategies that support a 46% total reduction in water use.

When was the project completed?

May 2025