Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit

HOLT worked with Samaritan Medical Center to create a safe, secure, flexible, and homelike environment for their Inpatient Behavioral Health unit. The unit is comprised of a total of 17, two-bed rooms; dayrooms and commons areas; and an abundance of visual or physical access to nature.

Based on current evidence-based design (EBD) research, two-bed rooms help create a social intimacy that supports safety and discourages withdrawal from therapeutic group discussion. Dayrooms and commons areas are also designed to encourage social interaction and promote a sense of community throughout the unit. Spaces that support participation in treatment provide environments that are flexible in configuration, allowing for a variety of activities.

Taking into consideration these details of the physical environment allows the design to help reinforce and encourage appropriate behavior. Attention to the details of the environment, such as artwork involving nature, may reduces stress, pathological behaviors, and aggression. Moving away from visually plain environments, which were once thought to prevent over stimulation, to richer, more complex spaces and increased access to outdoors help to support recovery and induce shorter stays.

Additionally, EBD suggests giving patients a sense of control as a critical factor contributing to the healing of a variety of mental illnesses. Designing environmental flexibility in regards to acoustics, lighting, and furniture options help support this goal. HOLT has incorporated all of these concept into the design of Samaritan’s updated Behavioral Health unit.