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This project is on a 10.77-acre existing site which included an existing building facility that was renovated into a state-of-the-art hospital that specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of mental disorders. SLA was hired to design 10 separate empty internal courtyard spaces that would service more than 200 patients housed throughout the hospital. Each courtyard design required not only a specific use, but also a certain target user age range, and unique therapeutic qualities. 

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Some courtyard designs offered physical recreation opportunities with amenities such as basketball courts, table tennis, foosball, corn hole, and ropes courses. Others offered settings for social or group gatherings such as barbecues, picnics, and outdoor movies and yet more courtyards provided quiet, private areas for study or meditation with only the sound of a soothing water feature.

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In many of the high activity courtyards where ground space was needed to maximize courts and play space, existing walls were used as an opportunity to introduce bright and vibrant art murals that helped to add color and bring the life to the courtyards. In the more private and quiet courtyards, raised planters, custom hardscape, shade structures, and site furnishings were used to define and create various seating options and gathering areas. Mature plant material was also introduced to help make the courtyards a more comfortable scale for users and to provide a sense of open nature within a safe and enclosed space.

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