This award winning three story, 60,000 square foot facility replaced the existing Health Department facility built in 1950 and is located on a challenging narrow strip of property on the Kern Medical Center Campus in Bakersfield, California. The Facility consolidated staff from three separate facilities to serve the Public Health needs of all Kern County. County Health clinic space, a major training/conference center and the Birth and Death record keeping offices occupy the first floor. The second floor provides Nursing program and Public Health eligibility staff space while the third floor contains a state of the art laboratory facility for testing water and infectious specimens. The Public Health Library, Computer/IT staff work space and Public Health Officer’s administrative suite is also located on the third floor. The building is designed to exceed current energy standards by using low “E” glass and exterior insulation walls assemblies. The building has microwave links for communication with the rest of southern San Joaquin valley in case of major disasters such as earthquakes, floods or bio hazardous emergencies occur. Mark Russell, AIA was lead designer and Principal architect in charge of the project.