Driving innovation in mental health care in Texas

Austin State Hospital Brain Health Campus Master Plan

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is reshaping brain health care in Central Texas with the Austin State Hospital (ASH) Brain Health Campus Master Plan. They engaged our team to help reimagine the historic 95-acre (38-hectare) campus as a modern, person-centered hospital, seamlessly integrated with key healthcare partnerships.

Once on the outskirts, ASH now sits at the heart of Austin, surrounded by thriving neighborhoods, mixed-use developments, and active city streets. More than just replacing outdated hospital functions, this campus plan aims to create a smarter, more connected system of care. The master plan centers on four key goals: establish a brain health campus, strengthen community connections, incentivize strategic partnerships, and build a full continuum of care.

A modern, 240-bed inpatient hospital will replace outdated ASH facilities, providing top-tier care while a phased plan maintains operations during construction. The new campus will be open, welcoming, and accessible, integrating public spaces and tree-lined sidewalks to encourage engagement with the surrounding neighborhood. The thoughtfully designed campus will attract key partners in brain health, destigmatizing mental illness and reshaping public perception. The plan also presents a vision of a collaborative ecosystem, co-locating essential facilities—including crisis care, skilled nursing, ambulatory services, and therapeutic housing.

The campus plan serves as a strategic roadmap to attract partners to the ASH campus, fostering a collaborative brain health ecosystem. By extending the street grid, the plan establishes flexible development zones with seamless access to arterial roads, improving connectivity and accessibility.

To unlock the full potential of this valuable HHSC land resource, the strategy prioritizes multistory facilities and phased structured parking—enhancing land use while preserving trees and green spaces. A compact, well-planned development approach will not only optimize infrastructure investments but also create a vibrant, accessible campus where brain-healthcare innovation can thrive.