IMPACT STORIES

WE’RE REDEFINING WHAT DESIGN CAN DO.

Design has the power to transform not just spaces, but outcomes. At FIFTEEN, we believe that intentional collaborations lead to more meaningful, lasting impact. This page shares stories that demonstrate how strategic partnerships and human-centered design come together to deliver results that go beyond expectations.

VISIONARY LEADERS DESERVE VISIONARY PARTNERS

PUBLIC HEALTH | MEDICAL OFFICE | FEMALE FORWARD SPACES | WELLNESS

When Saleemah McNeil founded Oshun Family Center, she had already spent years advocating for change. As a reproductive psychotherapist, certified doula, lactation consultant, and birth trauma survivor, she had witnessed the ongoing systemic failures that put Black mothers at risk.

She wasn’t interested in replicating what already existed. She needed a partner that could help her create a space as bold as her mission.

The idea was radical and necessary: a maternal health center that could shift stigma, reimagine access, and make mental and maternal healthcare feel safe, supported, and sacred. Every decision was grounded in a single question: How can space play an active role in the healing journey?

“From the beginning, FIFTEEN approached the project not just as designers, but as thoughtful partners committed to helping us create a space that reflects care, community, and cultural significance. Their ability to translate our vision into a physical environment that is both functional and emotionally resonant has been invaluable.”

— Saleemah McNeil MS, MFT / Founder, Oshun Family Center

We Start With Purpose, not Floorplans.

Before a site was even selected, FIFTEEN joined the Oshun team to guide visioning, programming, property walk-throughs, and test fits. Through this early collaboration, we clarified both the operational and emotional goals of the center, and created visual tools to help communicate the vision to funders, stakeholders, and the broader community.

Key design elements included:

  • Doula and consult rooms that prioritize emotional safety and comfort

  • A healing studio for yoga, meditation, and wellness practice

  • Natural light, calming palettes, and soft finishes to center peace

  • Organic forms and biophilic design to celebrate life and transformation

The result is a maternal health center that doesn’t resemble traditional healthcare settings.
It’s a warm, welcoming, community-embedded sanctuary designed for connection, dignity, and care.

Transformational work demands more than a standard design process. It deserves one that’s purpose-built to amplify the mission, and bold enough to match the vision.

“Our experience collaborating with FIFTEEN has been nothing short of exceptional. The team is creative, responsive, professional, and mission-aligned. They’ve gone above and beyond to ensure that this project not only meets our needs, but becomes a lasting reflection of the care and advocacy at the core of our work.”

— Saleemah McNeil MS, MFT / Founder, Oshun Family Center

PHF SIGNAGE

is inclusive and dynamic.  We understand that all clients and projects are unique and therefore the expertise required will vary.  At FIFTEEN, we call upon our brain trust and our outwardly reaching network of freelancers, specialists, and collaborators to keep us nimble, savvy and strong in our capabilities.  We are careful to properly define the need, prioritize the goals, clarify the budget and prototype so we can coauthor and execute a design solution in everyone’s best interest.

PLAYFUL LEARNING

is inclusive and dynamic.  We understand that all clients and projects are unique and therefore the expertise required will vary.  At FIFTEEN, we call upon our brain trust and our outwardly reaching network of freelancers, specialists, and collaborators to keep us nimble, savvy and strong in our capabilities.  We are careful to properly define the need, prioritize the goals, clarify the budget and prototype so we can coauthor and execute a design solution in everyone’s best interest.

PHMC GRAPHICS

In working with clients to create authentic reflections of their brand, culture, and mission, we have introduced the integration of environmental graphics within our architectural practice, creating a seamless user and human experience intertwined with art and graphics that uplift the human spirit and embodies the brand language of our clients.

For the Public Health Management Campus, our team leveraged environmental graphics to create a unique brand experience as well as a way-finding tool throughout the campus. Inspired by the context and local landscape, the graphics provide community focused messaging in support of the campus-wide themes of respite, retreat, and nature. Created in concert with way-finding strategies, the colors, textures, and themes organize the building into character zones that help to orient the building’s inhabitants

TACTICAL URBANISM

is inclusive and dynamic.  We understand that all clients and projects are unique and therefore the expertise required will vary.  At FIFTEEN, we call upon our brain trust and our outwardly reaching network of freelancers, specialists, and collaborators to keep us nimble, savvy and strong in our capabilities.  We are careful to properly define the need, prioritize the goals, clarify the budget and prototype so we can coauthor and execute a design solution in everyone’s best interest.

is inclusive and dynamic.  We understand that all clients and projects are unique and therefore the expertise required will vary.  At FIFTEEN, we call upon our brain trust and our outwardly reaching network of freelancers, specialists, and collaborators to keep us nimble, savvy and strong in our capabilities.  We are careful to properly define the need, prioritize the goals, clarify the budget and prototype so we can coauthor and execute a design solution in everyone’s best interest.

 

OUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE

 Images and projects listed accomplished while working at previous firms