Adolescent Psychiatric Treatment Center

This project was born from a need to expand the psychiatric care capacity for the state of Idaho. Previously, adolescents shared the same hospital facilities as adults. With both populations having steadily increased, the existing facilities would soon become overcrowded. A dedicated facility to treat adolescents offered an opportunity to generate an environment geared towards their specific needs. It also opened space in the existing hospital for the growing adult population.

To aid patient treatment, the design generated a therapeutic environment to instill a feeling of safety in the patients. The approach and building exterior needed to look inviting instead of institutional while still achieving a cost-effective durability. Inspired by Idaho sandstone, warm colored masonry was utilized with unique banding and textures to add visual interest. At the entrance, a canopy with a wood soffit continues from the exterior to the interior allowing the warmth of the exterior materials to flow into the building.

Once inside patients experience an abundance of natural light in a space shared by soft boundaries instead of hard separations. This open space approach also provides the care team with unobstructed views from their central station. Floor finish patterns and soffits imply spatial separation. In a psychiatric care facility anything that can be damaged must be kept out of reach. By integrating natural light, suggested spatial separation, and thoughtful finish selections the new facility supports patient and care team interactions.