Shortly before Mental Health Awareness Month in May, development and construction firm Skanska announced the topping out of California’s first behavioral health facility—and the largest in the nation—to target net zero energy. Located in Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif., the 77,610-sf Cordilleras Health System Replacement Project is slated for completion in late 2024.
The campus will comprise four single-story mental health rehabilitation centers, each accommodating 16 clients, as well as a three-story co-housing building for 57 residents. With CannonDesign as the design architect, the buildings are arrayed around a central open space with sheltered outdoor seating, community gardens, and recreation areas. Cordilleras also will provide administration, medical, dining, and maintenance services, plus other staff and visitor services.
The project will generate onsite power by installing solar panels on the buildings’ roofs and the parking areas, offsetting the energy usage onsite. Through a design and modeling process, the project team was able to minimize the site’s power usage while maintaining occupant comfort. Cordilleras is targeting a Silver LEED certification and has the potential to achieve Gold.
Located on a wooded hillside south of San Francisco, Cordilleras preserves the existing natural environment and features biophilic design to support therapeutic healing. As a resilient facility, Cordilleras will be able to continue operations in the event of a natural catastrophe.
“More than 51 million Americans—approximately one in five adults—live with mental illness. As healthcare builders and designers, we can directly combat the stigma around seeking care in what was traditionally seen as cold, sterile treatment environments, as we expect to see increased demand for behavioral health facilities,” Lindsay Corotis, vice president/account manager, Skanska USA Building, said in a statement.
The original facility was constructed as a tuberculosis hospital in 1952 and adapted for behavioral health in 1978.
On the Building Team:
Owner: San Mateo County
Design architect and architect of record: CannonDesign
MEP engineer: CannonDesign
Structural engineer: KPFF
Construction: Skanska USA Building
Related Stories
Healthcare Facilities | Jul 6, 2015
The main noisemakers in healthcare facilities: behavior and technology
Over the past few decades, numerous research studies have concluded that noise in hospitals can have a deleterious effect on patient care and recovery.
University Buildings | Jun 29, 2015
Ensuring today’s medical education facilities fit tomorrow’s healthcare
Through thought-leading design, medical schools have the unique opportunity to meet the needs of today’s medical students and more fully prepare them for their future healthcare careers. Perkins+Will’s Heidi Costello offers five key design factors to improve and influence medical education.
Sponsored | Healthcare Facilities | Jun 23, 2015
Texas eye surgery center captures attention in commercial neighborhood
The team wanted to build an eye surgery center in an already established area but provide something clean and fresh compared to neighboring buildings.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 16, 2015
Heatherwick’s design for cancer center branch has ‘healing power’
The architect describes it as “a collection of stepped planter elements”
Healthcare Facilities | May 27, 2015
Roadmap for creating an effective sustainability program in healthcare environments
With a constant drive for operational efficiencies and reduction of costs under an outcome-based healthcare environment, there are increasing pressures to ensure that sustainability initiatives are not only cost effective, but socially and environmentally responsible. CBRE's Dyann Hamilton offers tips on establishing a strong program.
Healthcare Facilities | May 27, 2015
Rochester, Minn., looks to escape Twin Cities’ shadow with $6.5 billion biotech development
The 20-year plan would also be a boon to Mayo Clinic, this city’s best-known address.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 28, 2015
10 things about Ebola from Eagleson Institute's infectious disease colloquium
Research institutions know how to handle life-threatening, highly contagious diseases like Ebola in the lab, but how do we handle them in healthcare settings?
Green | Apr 22, 2015
AIA Committee on the Environment recognizes Top 10 Green Projects
Seattle's Bullitt Center and the University Center at The New School are among AIA's top 10 green buildings for 2015.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
14 projects that push AEC teaming to the limits
From Lean construction to tri-party IPD to advanced BIM/VDC coordination, these 14 Building Teams demonstrate the power of collaboration in delivering award-winning buildings. These are the 2015 Building Team Award winners.
Building Team Awards | Apr 10, 2015
Prefab saves the day for Denver hospital
Mortenson Construction and its partners completed the 831,000-sf, $623 million Saint Joseph Hospital well before the January 1, 2015, deadline, thanks largely to their extensive use of offsite prefabrication.
