If ever there were a testament to a very good partnership, it’s the office of LifespanMD. The building had most recently been a veterinary clinic for the previous 25-plus years and Dr. Sam Hetz had purchased it for his medical clinic.
LifespanMD is an executive-style, longevity-focused medical clinic that aims to improve people’s health and lifespan. It’s designed for people who want a proactive, personalized, precision-based approach to their health, says Hetz, co-founder. He says LifespanMD is not just looking at biomarkers, but his team also looks at key pillars of health, including sleep, stress, diet and exercise, all to help decrease the risk of cancer, heart, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.
But Hetz needed a space for his team to do all of that and spent some time looking for a building to house his new business.
“This was actually one of the very first buildings we looked at, and we sort of discarded it early on because of the work it needed. But when we looked at it from the point of view of what we were looking for – accessibility, proximity to the highway and free parking, all on one floor, it checked all the boxes. And the visibility of this place is phenomenal. We basically have a billboard [visible from the Queensway.]”
Hetz says it turned into a great project and a wonderful partnership. When he was reconsidering the building, he reached out to Parallel 45 Design Group Ltd. to do a site visit.
Sarah Oakley, principal interior designer at Parallel 45 Design Group Ltd., took on the project management and brought in Micucci Contracting.
“It was a perfect marriage of the graphics we envisioned for the space and the modern edginess of the fitness area,” Oakley says.
Jim Micucci agrees.
“It turned out to be a fabulous team of players,” he says. “We basically transformed a very dated space into a warm and welcoming, state of the art environment. It had been a simple veterinary clinic for so many years, but Parallel 45’s vision came shining through in the end. I thought it came out and turned into a really classy-looking centre. We’re very proud and extremely happy with the results.”
Back to bare bones
Based on Parallel 45’s design, Micucci’s side of the project was “a complete gut,” he says. “We refinished most of the space and completely removed all floor finishes. We also removed all of the subfloors and installed all new subfloors throughout to eliminate sloping.”
He says the building had number of different levels because it started out as a house and then had at least two additions over the years.
“We basically started from scratch,” Micucci says. “There were a couple of structural issues because it was a very old building. Sam kept some of the medical offices because they served his purpose and then we revamped everything else. The back area turned into a fitness area. In the front, we opened it up, implemented some beautiful finishes, replaced the ceilings and put in a new and updated accessible washroom.”
“I get very excited by these types of conversions,” Oakley says. “There’s nothing more rewarding than converting a space into what is a beautiful facility for LifespanMD’s patients. I really wanted a warm, modern esthetic. When we at Parallel 45 design spaces, and especially medical spaces, I don’t want to make people feel like they’re going into a clinic. I think we really hit the nail on the head with this space, because it offers that comfort — you feel like you’re being taken care of. It’s a nice balance.”
Hetz says his philosophy has always been to contract good people and stay out of their way. Oakley’s firm’s primary focus is corporate commercial interiors, but it also specializes in healthcare design and planning.
“It’s a sector we know very well and truly enjoy working in, supported by the same strong service and relationships we bring to all our projects,” Oakley says, adding that she prioritized where to spend money on quality finishes and furnishings and where she could be more economical.
“The three of us worked really well together,” Oakley says. “Sam was incredibly easy to work with and he trusted the process. They let us do our job and that made for such a successful project.”
For Micucci, this project was one that he is extremely proud of and he was so impressed with the concept of the clinic that he and his wife have joined the client list.
“I have nothing but great things to say about it,” he says. “We do many, prestigious projects with Parallel 45 and we are very proud of all of them, but this one really hit home. We feel privileged working with Parallel 45 in bringing their projects to life.
Hetz says working with Oakley and Micucci was a breeze.
“From the very first day when Sarah saw the place, she worked with Jim and together they gave us an approximate construction estimate and we essentially came right in on budget,” Hetz says. “It was spot-on and the communication from start to finish was terrific.”
Oakley recalls walking into the space, seeing the potential and being inspired and excited by it. Jim Micucci says seeing this kind of transformation and being part of it are among his biggest professional thrills.
This article first appeared in the September 2025 special “Best Offices Ottawa” issue of the Ottawa Business Journal. That publication is available in its digital edition below.
