Designing Vision Forward Healthcare Environments at Utah Eye Centers

Project Overview: Utah Eye Centers in Bountiful and Jackson Hole

When patients enter an eye care facility, their experience starts well before an exam. The environment plays a key role in how safe, calm, and confident they feel. For vision-focused spaces, this experience needs to be highly intentional.

Art Firm was honored to collaborate with RMK Design Associates on two thoughtfully designed projects of Utah Eye Centers: the Bountiful Ambulatory Surgery Center, in Bountiful, Utah, and the Jackson Hole clinic in Wyoming. Together, these projects demonstrate how evidence-based design and EDAC principles can be applied through art to enhance patient well-being, staff experience, and brand continuity across clinics in the Mountain West region.

Art as a Clinical Support Tool in Eye Care Design

In ophthalmology settings, clear vision, reduced patient anxiety, and ease of cognitive processing are vital. Evidence shows that art depicting nature, familiar landscapes, and organic shapes helps lower patient stress, shortens perceived wait times, and measurably improves satisfaction.

For both Utah Eye Centers locations, the art strategy was developed to support:

  • Emotional regulation during pre- and post-procedure moments

  • Visual rest for patients with light sensitivity or eye strain

  • A sense of place and familiarity rooted in local landscapes

  • Clear wayfinding without overstimulation

The artwork is not a decorative afterthought. Instead, it functions as a clinical support layer integrated into both the architecture and the care journey.

Bountiful, Colorado

Grounding Patients Through Regional Landscapes

The Bountiful ASC art package was curated to reflect the natural beauty of the American West. Large-scale photography featuring canyons, rock formations, desert textures, and expansive skies was strategically placed throughout waiting areas, corridors, and patient zones.

Key EDAC-driven considerations included:

  • Predictable imagery with clear depth and horizon lines to support visual comfort

  • Warm earth tones balanced with soft neutrals to reduce clinical harshness

  • Artwork scaled proportionally to architectural sightlines to avoid visual fatigue.

  • Strategic placement near transitional moments, such as pre op and recovery areas

This approach grounds and orients patients, fostering trust and calm in high-stress moments.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Biophilic Design Through Place-Based Storytelling

In Jackson Hole, the art narrative shifted to reflect the surrounding alpine environment. Photography showcasing mountain ranges, forests, reflections in water, and seasonal light was selected to align with the region’s strong connection to nature.

Black floater frames were specified to provide architectural contrast while maintaining visual softness, keeping the imagery the focal point. This balance supports EDAC principles by:

  • Creating moments of positive distraction in waiting areas

  • Supporting patient relaxation through biophilic cues

  • Reinforcing a premium yet approachable brand identity

  • Enhancing staff environments that benefit from restorative visuals throughout the day

The result is a healthcare space that intentionally supports emotional well-being and reflects the region, all while enhancing the practice's core clinical function.

Collaborative Design Process with RMK Design Associates

These projects reflect close collaboration between Art Firm and RMK Design Associates. Artwork was integrated into architectural plans, not added after construction.

Decisions included early art mapping, scale studies, and choosing materials. Coordination of installation was also guided by:

  • EDAC research and neuroaesthetic principles

  • Patient-centered design standards

  • Operational considerations unique to eye care facilities

  • Long-term durability and maintenance requirements

This comprehensive approach ensures the artwork improves the environment, directly supporting patient outcomes and the quality of care, not just appearance.

Outcomes: Elevated Patient Experience Through Art Consulting

Healthcare spaces now recognize that thoughtfully applied art goes beyond aesthetics to measurably enhance patient outcomes, staff satisfaction, and brand trust.

At Art Firm, we believe art should work as hard as the spaces it inhabits.

The Utah Eye Centers' projects demonstrate how evidence-based art curation, grounded in EDAC principles and regional storytelling, can elevate healthcare environments while remaining functional, calming, and human-centered.

Project Credits

Interior Design: RMK Design Associates

Art Consulting and Curation: Art Firm

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