Best Practices: Environmental and Therapeutic Issues in Psychiatric Hospital Design: Toward Best Practices
Bradley E. Karlin, Ph.D.; Robert A. Zeiss, Ph.D.
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Supplemental bibliography
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All images were provided courtesy of the Design Partnership, San Francisco. The first page shows the site plan of the new hospital. The position of the new facility in relation to existing roadways, new and existing parking, and existing adjacent buildings are illustrated, as are pathway connections. The facility is comprised of three distinct buildings. At the more "public" side with the front entry plaza (the circular paving element) is the Administration and Research Pavilion-—the square building with the open, central courtyard. Located more interior within the "private" zone of the facility are the four inpatient psychiatric units. Each unit has a barrel-vaulted bedroom wing attached to a main building block with an interior courtyard. The "L" shaped building forming the four side of the main courtyard is the Utility Building and loading dock.
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The second page shows an aerial view of the new facility, from the perspective of the main entrance. A single-story design was incorporated to instill a noninstitutionalized, homelike feel. Interweaving courtyards and gardens are significant elements of the design.
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The third page shows the floor plan. There are a total of four 20-bed units in the facility. All four units are laid out largely identically to facilitate cross-staffing, ease of operations, and flexibility of use. The entire complex and each unit designed to maximize exposure to natural light and the landscaped outdoors, as well as allow patients to interact with nature in a variety of secure and safe environments. There are group-sized courtyards located along the hallway onto each unit and smaller, quieter gardens adjacent to each dayroom. The nursing station is positioned to maximize supervision of all indoor and outdoor patient use spaces as well as allow direct observation of all doors into all patient rooms.