Landscape + Movement – Environmental Graphics in the PT/PA Suite
By David Hwang
The Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant Suite (PT/PA Suite) transforms the basement of the Health Sciences Innovation Building at the University of Arizona into a vibrant center for hands-on learning and discovery.
The themes of landscape and movement form the conceptual heart of the environmental graphics in the PT/PA Suite. Inspired by human anatomy and Tucson’s desert terrain, the graphics establish a visual language that connects staff and students to their academic work and the surrounding mountainous environment. Designed to bring warmth and a sense of the outdoors into a basement setting, the vibrant graphics also reflect the educational mission of the University of Arizona to train the next generation of physicians who will advance healthcare across the state.
Derived from Tucson’s vibrant murals and surrounding landscape, the color palette creates bright, welcoming spaces. Organic curves and stratified bands of color echo shifts in topography and musculature, linking landscape and anatomy in a unified expression. The graphics work in harmony with the interior design and lighting to create a cohesive environment. Together, they evoke the contemplative, natural qualities of the Arizona desert and the movement of the human body.
The lobby of the PT/PA Suite serves as the project's central gathering space. It features high saturation orange and blue hues balanced with moments of calming neutrals to invite occupants to linger, while clearly signaling entry into the learning environments. A feature wall behind the reception desk anchors the space, with additional graphics extending toward the adjacent laboratory areas and framing the lobby. Together, these elements establish a continuous horizon line that visually expands the low basement ceiling and enhances orientation. Long, organic lines evoke muscle fibers in motion, acting an abstract expression of the PA/PT programs that is grounded in movement, anatomical knowledge, and a commitment to patient care.
Other areas of the suite with graphics include the stairwell, stairwell vestibule and the elevator lobby, where the themes of movement and landscape continue. Variations in shape and color offer moments of discovery, variation, and subtly create wayfinding. Turquoise, pastel pinks and yellows are layered to create inviting spaces, signal transition, and offer moments of brightness in the otherwise windowless spaces. The stairwell also serves as a wayfinding system, utilizing horizontal organic lines and shapes that guide occupants from the ground level and into the basement PT/PA Suite.
The multi-zone layout of the building’s basement provided a rich canvas for experiential graphics, which allowed the design to establish a cohesive visual narrative that choreographs an experience through color and form. Once defined by its lack of windows, this transformation reframes the space with movement, color and connection. The newly finished PT/PA Suite creates an immersive space that visually embodies the school’s mission to train Tucson’s next generation of healthcare professionals.
