Silver Hill Hospital
Acute Care Unit
Richard Turlington Architects breaks the mold of standard psychiatric ward design. We believe all patients must be treated with utmost respect and surrounded with design elements that eliminate the sterility of traditional clinical environments. We also reorganize spaces with the staff’s safety in mind.
The renovation of the Acute Care Center at Silver Hill Hospital is an example of our commitment to those principles. We removed the stereotypical features of a treatment facility—sheet vinyl flooring, drab walls, plastic laminate surfaces, clunky chair rails—and initiated new construction in several areas. We updated existing patient rooms and built a larger community space, a comfortable patient lounge, and a new cafeteria. The interior spaces include a unique material palette that is reminiscent of water, earth, and natural light. The sparkly porcelain flooring resembles the surface of an ocean, and the plaster ceilings are sky blue to match. Patient wing corridors feature an anti-microbial carpet patterned as a tree-lined lane. To make the atmosphere appear softer and warmer, we also replaced the stale fluorescent lighting with skylights and indirect LED bulbs.
Finally, we modernized the nurses’ station. Half of it is open and accessible; the other half remains closed to comply with HIPPA standards. The area has a pleasant wood theme that incorporates quarter-sawn white oak panels. This fits in with the overall use of natural materials.
The goal of the Acute Care Unit’s redesign was to provide patients with a safe and inclusive space where they feel respected and well-cared for. RTA enjoys advocating for patients by leveraging our knowledge of design and architecture, and we are proud of our work in the healthcare space.