From the start, the primary focus of the Saratoga Surgery Center was customer service and to provide the best experience possible for their customers. Saratoga Hospital was especially interested in providing a patient-focused, comfortable atmosphere.

The patient experience is designed to flow from pre-op to surgery to post-op and then exiting directly to the lobby without backtracking or passing others in the waiting room. Finishes are warm, earthy, soothing colors with large amounts of wood grain, wood trim and wood grain vinyl flooring where possible. Natural light is introduced at pre-op and post-op to help orient and provide a more peaceful atmosphere.

In many clinical facilities family and friends, who often wait for many hours for their loved ones, are relegated to stark, cold, noisy waiting areas with no distractions to occupy their time other than a television. Saratoga Hospital wanted to avoid this and insisted that the waiting area be a warm comfortable space with opportunity for family members to read, visit, use their computer or watch TV.

Inside the waiting area patients and visitors are treated to more of a hospitality setting than an institutional one. A curving soffit leads customers to check-in/ information desk and also forms a boundary between the porcelain tile floor - wood grid ceiling tabled seating area and the carpeted sofa and chair seating area. The tabled seating area is further subdivided with a coffee bar at one end and stool height perimeter counter with internet access. Over the counter are three large fabric and wood sculpture panels commissioned for the space.

To avoid the usual waiting room scenario of the TV being the focal point and distracting everyone, a smaller plasma screen viewing area is formed near the entry with partial height open grid wood divider panels. Full height window walls flood the entire waiting room with natural light and connect the interior with the garden area immediately outside. The waiting area provides a large amount of wood finishes as well as warm soothing carpet and fabric colors with metal frame chairs and glass top tables to provide contrast.