Oregon State Replacement Psychiatric Hospital

As Oregon’s largest-ever capital project, the state hospital replacement program included the design and construction of two hospitals to house all psychiatric beds: one in Salem and another in Junction City.

Guiding the planning and design of each hospital was an emphasis on individualized treatment for successful long-term recovery. This includes transitioning from a unit-based care model to a treatment mall concept focused on recovery. The design supports healing, recovery and community reintegration. The team involved stakeholders including mental health advocacy groups, historic preservationists, neighborhood associations and concerned citizens in the design process.

Oregon State Hospital in Salem

In Salem, the restoration and expansion of the hospital transforms the original 1883 facility, one of the West Coast’s oldest continuously operating mental healthcare hospitals (and the hospital where One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was filmed), into a modern, efficient and humane campus.

Though the original facility emphasized natural light and air circulation in a pastoral setting, it had become outdated and inefficient. Most of the dilapidated main building was torn down. The renovation of the original Kirkbride building, which serves as the campus front door, included restoring and repainting the brick facade, refurbishing and replicating windows, upgrading it to seismic standards, replacing the metal roof and restoring the historic cupola.

The design for the updated hospital allows for a new treatment model based on immersing patients in a central area with training and rehabilitative activities. Residential “house” areas are kept separate to allow patients to fully engage in treatment. The new buildings have an interior circulation spine connecting the “downtown” treatment areas with new “neighborhood” malls that provide recreational and meal areas. The plan arranges the buildings to form 22 outdoor courtyards where patients can enjoy nature and serenity.

HOK partnered with Portland-based SRG on the design of both hospitals.