has a carefully planned sequencing of spaces. Some patients arrive for care voluntarily through the main entrance, while others arrive via police or ambulance. A separate, more discreet and higher-security entrance serves these higher-acuity patients while mirroring the finishes and warm design touches of the main entrance to promote patient dignity. With patients separated by diagnosis or acuity level, the separate pods help patients feel safer, less stressed and less fearful. After patients pass through a secure vestibule, they are first escorted to the triage and assessment area. Wood ceilings and cabinetry, textural wall panels, and layers of lighting ease the transition to triage. A centralized observation area at the intersection of three distinct receiving pods allows staff greater flexibility in positioning patients based on care needs. The building’s design places a strong emphasis on hospitality and comfort, introducing a welcoming softness through repeated design patterns, layered lighting, and warm materials throughout the space while maintaining requisite durability and patient safety. That message starts at the main entrance with a broad, protective canopy. A tall glass curtain wall floods the lobby with daylight, and a concierge greets and directs arrivals from a hospitality-inspired reception desk. An undulating, warm wood ceiling with biophilic textural wall panel contributes to the sense of refuge and healing. The intentional design integrates harm-free fixtures with hospitality-infused elements such as warm wood ceilings, layered lighting, rounded edges on nurse desks and benches, and therapeutic outdoor spaces. Interior layouts optimize staff efficiency, patient autonomy and comfort. The acute stabilization area on the third floor is a safe, designated space where staff can manage patients and patients can find more privacy. The area provides a unique service beyond 24-hour stabilization and observation. It functions as an inpatient unit and is regulated accordingly, with a target length of stay between two and 14 days. The unit is divided into “neighborhoods” Fortunately, that has not been the case. Dolan believes the center’s design reshapes the narrative surrounding mental illness and treatment facilities. It replaces sterile, hard-security impressions with design features that foster dignity for patients and their families. Dolan quoted Core Team member Dr. Roxanne Bartell when she first viewed the rendering of the main stairway: “It looks like we are making an investment into mental health.” Kevin Curtis, the operations director at the Crisis Care Center, was integral throughout the design process and emphasized that the building must have a “no wrong door” philosophy, ensuring that every person in crisis, arriving voluntarily or with first responders, is welcomed, stabilized, treated and connected to future care. This three-story, 81,600-square-foot center serves low- to high-acuity patients, with an integrated 30-chair observation unit on Level 1, outpatient and bridging services on Level 2 and a 24-bed acute stabilization unit on Level 3. Senior Associate Interior Designer Sydnie Young added, “It shows mental health in the right light. At intake, everyone is treated at an equal level. We have taken elements from the front into the back-of-house, making both sides feel welcoming.” To support the various needs of the patients, the HMHI Crisis Care Center 21
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