Creating A Place Of Sanctuary For Mental Health Patients
- BHFC Design Consulting
- Sep 23, 2020
- 1 min read
Contributing Authors: Jim Hunt, Kim Boe, and Robyn Linstrom
In 2015, Mind Springs Health’s West Springs Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., began planning a 62,000-square-foot expansion. A visioning session early in the design process adopted the slogan “Creating a Place of Sanctuary” that would become the guiding principal for the design process of the 48-bed addition (with future planned expansion to 64 beds), which replaces an existing 32-bed inpatient facility in Grand Junction. This building opened in December 2018 and greatly expands access to psychiatric beds in the community and surrounding area as the only psychiatric hospital in the 520-mile- wide distance between Denver and Salt Lake City.
The project team, including Davis Partnership Architects (Denver) and Behavioral Health Facility Consulting LLC (Topeka, Kan.), set out to create a place that is comforting and non-threatening to allow those seeking treatment to relax and be open to treatment. This environment contrasts with those in jails and prisons, where some homeless mentally ill people end up these days.
The emphasis on designing for dignity rather than just clinical efficiency really resonates—especially the idea that spatial cues can reduce anxiety before a single word is spoken. I've been applying similar principles in my own facility planning, and this piece reinforces how crucial those details are. Check out the full resource hub for more. https://flux3.site
The emphasis on regulatory compliance alongside sanctuary design is such a crucial balance—too often one gets sacrificed for the other. I appreciate how your team frames the built environment as an active part of the healing process, and I've been using similar principles in my own work. https://make-ai-video.com
The emphasis on designing spaces that feel like a true sanctuary rather than a clinical setting is exactly what’s missing in so many facilities. I’ve been applying these principles to a recent project and found the regulatory insights on patient safety versus homelike comfort particularly helpful—checking out your resources on that balance has been https://3daimaker.com
The emphasis on designing sanctuary through regulatory-conscious, human-centered spaces is exactly what healthcare environments need—especially when balancing safety with true comfort. I’ve been applying similar principles in my own projects, and this piece reinforces how crucial that balance is. https://ai-for-animation.com
The emphasis on designing spaces that truly support healing rather than just function is so important—especially the balance between safety and dignity for patients. I've been using a similar approach in my own projects and found some great resources at https://video-to-video-ai.com