Essential Health
Essential Health is a functional medicine practice with locations in Cary and Raleigh, North Carolina. During the opening of its new Raleigh clinic, the team requested an interiorscape soltion that would reflect an environment that supported both patient comfort and the clinic’s holistic approach to care.
This project involved coordinating with stakeholders, aligning design decisions with brand values, and managing timelines to ensure the space was ready for it’s upcoming opening party.
**Stakeholder names have been changed for privacy**
Raleigh, NC
2010
Healthcare
Challenge
With an opening party scheduled within the next month, the facility needed an interiorscape installation quickly and within a tight budget.
Results
Prioritized main focal area to meet deadline without delaying project launch
Completed interiorscape installation within a 30-day timeline ahead of the opening event
100% of milestones met before opening party
My Role
As an account manager & project coordinator, I was responsible for:
Meeting with the client to conduct site visits and evaluations, gathering data to build a proposal and a project plan
Research plants that would meet the clients needs and perform well in that specific location
Work with vendors to order plants and other materials for the installation job
Manage the scheduling of labor and installation
Finalize labor and material costs estimates for invoicing
Provide a plant care guide to help staff maintain the new plants
Planning the Process
After an initial phone call with the office manager, Emma*, I met with her on-site at the Raleigh location to discuss the company's needs, visual goals, budget, and timeline. The idea was to design the entire space with quality, low-maintenance plants and designer planters that would compliment the calming presence of the lobby.
With a tight deadline approaching, we decided to focus on the focal point of the lobby, a crescent shape trough to accent the waiting area.
What mattered most:
Old and diseased plants needed to be removed and disposed of
Installation be completed before the opening party
The new plants reflect the brand of the company and compliment the area
New plants needed to be easy to take care of by staff
Emma* and I agreed we would re-vist the design of the entire office at a later date.
Risk Management
Because we only had a month to work with, the project had some risks to consider:
What if our greenhouse truck delivery of plants was late?
What if the truck delivery didn’t arrive with the product we originally ordered, or have the correct amount requested?
What if the plants that arrived were damaged?
With these concerns in mind, I pulled similar plants from our current greenhouse inventory to ensure we had backups. This way, we could have stand-in plants for the installation and be ready for the opening party, and could easily swap them with requested plants once they arrived and were inspected for quality control.
Lobby trough (left of photo) before redesign
Proposal for lobby trough redesign
Putting It All Together
While we waited for our plants to arrive, I continued gathering the remaining materials we needed from local vendors and what we had in stock for installation.
Project Prep
Consult with Emma* to schedule install dates
Assign plant techs tasks to pull all materials from our warehouse and store in loading area
Schedule additional employees for assistance on install day
Tools and other equipment tested and checked for use on site
Our greenhouse delivery truck arrived as scheduled, but it didn’t have all of the requested plants. I worked with Emma* to finalize dates of a plant swap after the opening party.
Installation
Day 1: Installation Prep
Measured and cut insulation boards to build a frame for trough and foundation to cover with river rock
Used pre-planned layout to cut sections of boards for secure placement of plants
Placed landscape fabric to cover framework and blend with the trough
Day 2: Finishing Touches
Final check of plants: cleaned, trimmed, and treated before loading for transport
Placed plants in designated areas, then filled the trough with river rock to complete the look
Walkthrough with Emma* for approval
Service plants, clean up, go home!
Outcome
Installation was on time and on budget, despite setbacks with plant inventory. Emma* and I scheduled a plant swap shortly after the opening party, and we were able wrap up this phase of the project.
The entire staff was pleased with the final design, and wanted to move forward with planning for the rest of the office.
What I learned, and Why It Mattered
Risk management on tight timelines is incredibly important for any project. No matter how much planning we do, as project managers we cannot control, what we cannot control. Having a backup plan can you save you time, money, and stress for your team while maintaining good standing with your clients.
This project was done in partnership with Atlantic Gardening.