Cordilleras Health System's new behavioral health facility in California targets net zero energy

Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.

The campus will comprise four single-story mental health rehabilitation centers, each accommodating 16 clients, as well as a three-story co-housing building for 57 residents. With CannonDesign as the design architect, the buildings are arrayed around a central open space with sheltered outdoor seating, community gardens, and recreation areas. Cordilleras also will provide administration, medical, dining, and maintenance services, plus other staff and visitor services.

The project will generate onsite power by installing solar panels on the buildings’ roofs and the parking areas, offsetting the energy usage onsite. Through a design and modeling process, the project team was able to minimize the site’s power usage while maintaining occupant comfort. Cordilleras is targeting a Silver LEED certification and has the potential to achieve Gold.

Located on a wooded hillside south of San Francisco, Cordilleras preserves the existing natural environment and features biophilic design to support therapeutic healing. As a resilient facility, Cordilleras will be able to continue operations in the event of a natural catastrophe.

“More than 51 million Americans—approximately one in five adults—live with mental illness. As healthcare builders and designers, we can directly combat the stigma around seeking care in what was traditionally seen as cold, sterile treatment environments, as we expect to see increased demand for behavioral health facilities,” Lindsay Corotis, vice president/account manager, Skanska USA Building, said in a statement.

The original facility was constructed as a tuberculosis hospital in 1952 and adapted for behavioral health in 1978.

On the Building Team:
Owner: San Mateo County
Design architect and architect of record: CannonDesign
MEP engineer: CannonDesign
Structural engineer: KPFF
Construction: Skanska USA Building

B breezeway Cordilleras - Courtesy of CannonDesign — Rendering courtesy CannonDesign

C MHRC courtyard Cordilleras - Courtesy of CannonDesign — Rendering courtesy CannonDesign

Cordilleras_Drone_20230317 - Courtesy of Skanska.jpg — Photo courtesy Skanska USA

Walsh Construction, one of the largest contractors in the city of Chicago and in the United States, is leading the temporary conversion of a portion of the McCormick Place Convention Center into an Alternate Care Facility (ACF) for novel coronavirus patients. Construction on the first 500 beds was completed on April 3.

TLC Engineering Consultants' guidance on ventilation in COVID-19 patient rooms

Coronavirus | Apr 1, 2020

TLC’s Michael Sheerin offers guidance on ventilation in COVID-19 healthcare settings

Ventilation engineering guidance for COVID-19 patient rooms

Healthcare Facilities | Mar 29, 2020

A ‘roadmap’ for building hospitals in rural and underfunded markets

Hoar Construction’s formula emphasizes preconstruction planning and input from healthcare workers.

Healthcare Facilities | Mar 27, 2020

Designing healthcare for surge capacity

We believe that part of the longer-term answer lies not just with traditional health providers, but in the potential of our cities and communities to adapt and change.