A Healing Environment That Responds to Statewide Needs

With an increasing patient population and staffing shortages, Hawaii State Hospital required a replacement facility to better serve adults with severe and persistent mental illness throughout the entire state. Our behavioral and mental health and secure environment expertise was sought by local architect Anbe, Aruga, & Ishuzu Architects to lead the programming, planning and design effort and achieve their aesthetic and aspirational goals for this design-build delivery. 

Emphasizing A Human-Centered Environment

This new, 144-bed, secure forensic replacement facility provides Hawaii State Hospital with a modern, behavioral health environment infused with correctional-level security for their forensic patient population. Designed as a normative environment, the new care facility includes residential style living units and a treatment mall that resembles a small-town center. 

• Emphasis was placed on the provision of a healthy, human treatment environment where architectural design can play a major role in the efficacy of the various treatment regimens.
• Six treatment units in three levels over a plinth consist of a treatment mall, recreational and community facilities, centralized active and passive yards and facility support including a central plant.
• Housing includes units for admissions, high-risk, and medical, as well as three typical treatment units.

Changing Expectations of Secure Care

With this new facility open, the patient- and care provider-experience changes to embody the care, security and human needs simultaneously. Its integration with the natural environment and natural-material-focused aesthetic character opens a new chapter for the forensic patient care environment where the hospital actively enables and contributes to the treatment and well-being of the residents. This project led to our selection for renovations to the existing hospital, currently underway.