At a Glance
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471K
Square Feet
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252
Beds
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52%
Reduction in Energy
- Location
- Petersburg, Virginia
- Offices
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-
Client
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Virginia Department of
-
General Services
-
- Location
- Petersburg, Virginia
- Offices
- Client
-
- Virginia Department of
- General Services
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The Virginia Department of General Services wanted the new Central State Hospital to reflect their focus on providing high-quality, recovery-based behavioral health treatment. They engaged our team to create a design that would prioritize safety, flexibility, and dignity, while supporting civil and maximum-security needs.
We created a cohesive facility to modernize inpatient care within a single campus. Our team integrated natural and biophilic elements into every living space, providing users with outdoor views in each room. Double-height common rooms and ample glazing cultivate a warm and friendly environment.
An expansive entryway featuring ambient light and high ceilings offers a welcoming space, while small-group rooms provide open-concept areas that enhance social connections. We pioneered a three-tier organization of psychiatric patient spaces, featuring five “Program Communities,” a collection of common areas, and counseling rooms serving as an additional middle-ground option between the patient living units and treatment malls.
Keeping personnel in mind, our team designed the hospital to facilitate passive observation by providing clear sightlines throughout patient spaces and to critical doors from defined observation points. Layouts allowing easy observation of historically problematic areas, like dining rooms, help reduce the risk of incidents. Generous corridor widths and ceiling heights reduce safety concerns while enhancing the feeling of well-being.
Bright days and dark nights keep our circadian rhythms in sync. This natural cycle shapes how we sleep, think, and feel. But as we spend more time in indoor settings, it’s easy for that rhythm to drift. Thoughtful design can help keep it on track. In the dayroom, for example, light poured in through windows and skylights, yet winter days still left the space too dim for healthy circadian synchronization. So, we pinpointed specific spots for circadian lighting upgrades, which kept costs low while giving residents the daylight cues they need for mental well-being.
The new Central State Hospital is a reminder that when design works with our natural rhythms and incorporates natural elements, even subtle changes can have an outsized impact on health and recovery.
" }At a Glance
-
471K
Square Feet
-
252
Beds
-
52%
Reduction in Energy
- Location
- Petersburg, Virginia
- Offices
-
-
Client
-
-
Virginia Department of
-
General Services
-
- Location
- Petersburg, Virginia
- Offices
- Client
-
- Virginia Department of
- General Services