CJL - Christopher J. Lee Architects, Inc.

While the commercial real estate market has experienced a down-turn with the economy, Christopher J. Lee Architects is pleased to announce that construction has begun on the Collins Vision Center at International Center in south Fort Myers.

When completed, this new medical office/ophthalmology facility for Michael J. Collins, Jr., MD, FACS will provide just over 10,000 square feet of eye examination and patient care facilities and will contain complete optical testing and eye examination rooms, a procedure room, orbital scan rooms, patient education facilities, optical retail area, administrative offices and staff support facilities.

Stevens Construction is the General Contractor for the project who is based in Fort Myers and is constructing medical projects throughout the State of Florida and has constructed several other medical or dental office projects designed by Christopher J. Lee Architects.

Designed in a “Contemporary” vernacular style, the building exterior will incorporate the use of cast stone and painted Stucco in vertical planes with curved roof forms and surfaces also located around the building to accentuate the theme of the design. Alternating heights of the walls and roof parapets and varying the positioning of the window openings within the wall planes help to achieve scale and composition in the exterior façade of the building. Integrating traditional stone within the modern building aesthetic was an intended goal in the design concept and is accomplished by placing the stone in full height vertical planes and surfaces and not as “skirting” or wainscoting makes the stone surfaces read as textured planes and elements in a non-traditional way and demonstrates the balance of expressing modern technology in construction with the traditional warmth expressed through the use of stone.

The proposed new building shall consist primarily of “stucco” finished concrete masonry walls (including many with a veneer “Cast Stone” with steel columns and beams supporting steel bar-type joists and curved steel on top with a standing seam metal roof panel system. All proposed exterior glass and glazing shall be an “Impact-Resistant” fixed storefront type system.

An additional feature includes providing a covered entry area outside the enclosed conditioned space with a low-roof on the east side of the building which shall employ “stucco” finished round columns over supporting structural steel columns.

New interior partitioning, finishes and systems shall be added which when completed shall create an all new finished building interior to house the proposed medical office, including patient waiting and examination areas, and associated support facilities. Interior non‑bearing partitions shall consist of light-gage metal stud framing members, and the main Patient Waiting Room and Optical Dispensary area with feature a dramatic multi-layered suspended ceiling with “floating” planes.