Equity & Dignity by Design: Co-creating Guidelines with Planned Parenthood Affiliate Health Centers

Recognizing the importance of well-designed spaces in ensuring a high standard of patient care for their 2.4 million patients, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) partnered, in 2020, with architect Deborah Richards, principal of Oklahoma-based firm Script Architecture, to develop design guidelines for Planned Parenthood (PP) affiliates across the country. The resulting design guidelines are organized around four key evidence-based principles: Wellness & Healing, Equity & Dignity, Operational Efficiency, and Resiliency. This essay discusses the process PPFA and the designers used to co-create these healthcare center guidelines and shares visual examples of these design guidelines, including two Planned Parenthood precedent facilities, one in Oklahoma City and one in Tulsa, Oklahoma.