A new 521,000 sf, 350-bed behavioral health hospital in Lakewood, Wash., a Tacoma suburb, will serve forensic patients who enter care through the criminal court system, freeing other areas of campus to serve civil patients. The facility at Western State Hospital, to be designed by HOK, will promote a holistic approach to rehabilitation as part of the state’s vision for transforming behavioral health.
The design will prioritize transparency, biophilia, and a holistic treatment approach, balancing safety and security for patients and providers. To incorporate nature’s healing power, the building will be seamlessly integrated with the topography of the 216-acre campus. Access to nature and daylight is intended to improve programmatic function. Elevated walkways floating above courtyards will connect building spaces and provide connections to nature as patients and staff move through the campus.
Sustainability and energy efficiency are also critical design considerations, with the goal of achieving net-zero energy and LEED gold certification. The hospital’s exterior materials will create a non-institutional appearance with the aim of destigmatizing mental healthcare. A modular lattice veil across the façade will create a woven look and balance the brick and painted steel facades of downtown and neighborhood buildings, creating a rhythmic pattern.
“Our design supports the healing, rehabilitation and care of forensic behavioral health patients in ways that challenge more traditional, institutional design solutions,” said Loren Supp, Principal in HOK’s Seattle studio and lead designer for the project. “The new hospital will serve as a model for cities across the country, highlighting the necessity of investing in progressive mental and behavioral health services, programs, and facilities to ensure the best long-term outcomes for vulnerable populations.”
The project is part of a master plan that includes several other facility improvements to the existing Western State Hospital campus.
Construction is anticipated to begin in 2023, with completion anticipated by 2027.
Owner: WDSHS and DES
Design Architect: HOK
Architect of Record: HOK
Associate Architect: Architecture +
MEP Engineer: AEI
Structural Engineer: KPFF
General Contractor/Construction Manager: Clark Construction Group
Related Stories
| Mar 29, 2013
Cuningham Group acquires NTD's healthcare practice, expands into key markets
The international design firm Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc. has announced that NTD Healthcare has the joined the company in a strategic expansion. A practice of NTD Architecture, NTD Healthcare joins Cuningham Group with three principals: Wayne Hunter, AIA, NCARB, ACHA and Phillip T. Soule, III, AIA, ACHA in San Diego, along with Maha Abou-Haidar, AIA in Phoenix.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
| Mar 6, 2013
Hospital project pioneers BIM/VDC-based integrated project delivery
The Marlborough (Mass.) Hospital Cancer Pavilion is one of the first healthcare projects to use BIM/VDC-based integrated project delivery.
| Mar 4, 2013
German healthcare design specialist TMK Architekten joins HDR Architecture
TMK Architekten • Ingenieure, one of Germany’s leading healthcare architecture firms, announced today that it is joining forces with HDR Architecture, the world’s No. 1 healthcare and science + technology design firm. The merged company will conduct business as HDR TMK, and will be the hub for the firm’s healthcare and science + technology design programs in Europe.
| Feb 26, 2013
Tax incentive database for reflective roofs available
The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA) and the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) created a database of current information on rebates and tax credits for installing reflective roofs.
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 18, 2013
Syracuse hospital using robots to reduce infections by 50%
Fast Company's Nina Mandell writes about how an early adopter of UV infection-control robotics—St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse—is seeing positive results.
| Feb 15, 2013
Preservation lawsuit over Chicago's Prentice Hospital dropped
Preservation lawsuit over Chicago's Prentice Hospital dropped, freeing Northwestern University to demolish it and build a new research facility.
| Feb 14, 2013
5 radical trends in outpatient facility design
Building Design+Construction combed the healthcare design and construction sector to evaluate the latest developments in outpatient facility designs. Here are five trends to watch.
