Antelope Valley Health Center
Adjacent to existing hospital / 1600 W Ave J, Lancaster, CA
Client Antelope Valley Health Center
Anticipated Completion Project awaiting funding
Size 100,000 square feet
Construction Cost $67 million
Delivery Method Design-Bid-Build
OSDHPD Level OSHPD 1 / OSHPD 5 design for behavioral health portion of building
Project Description / Scope Standalone behavioral health hospital with 48 beds (VE version revised plan approval). It has also been designed for 120 beds and three stories (original plan approval), depending on funding. The project includes a commercial kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining, an outdoor exercise courtyard, an outpatient department, and all required accessory spaces. It provides a progressive approach to patient care in a safe setting with complete staff visibility and easy access to gathering spaces, providing calming environments such as a central outdoor courtyard with natural landscaping. The state-of-the-art facility utilizes an efficient layout so staff can access the utility spaces both from within the lockdown area and from outside the lockdown space for ease of stocking. One unique feature that makes this hospital one of a kind is the combination of rehabilitation and behavioral health within a single hospital. It provides efficiency through a shared central portion of the hospital that houses shared services between the behavioral health and rehabilitation departments, including the kitchen, administration, pharmacy, and lab.
Planning and Design Approach Outpatient and inpatient services are separated but connected to shared spaces utilized by both; however, they remain standalone departments. This approach provides a unique workflow that enhances building efficiency, patient experience, and patient and staff safety. The project utilizes several outdoor environments for dining, activities, and relaxation, along with a welcoming entrance and drop-off area that creates a positive patient experience upon arrival.
Innovation Points The innovative strategy on this project utilizes a flexible system that allows the hospital to have swing spaces between different departments (adolescent and adult) based on the facility's census and needs. Since the two departments must be separated, strategically placed doors allow the facility to swing up to six rooms per floor. Another strategy utilizes an activity space open to the corridor and adjacent to the nurse station. This provides the greatest level of visibility and access to patients while supervising the activity space. It maximizes space efficiency and provides a more open feeling for patients. The building also utilizes a high-performance building strategy for energy efficiency based on its location. It incorporates solar car shading, an energy-efficient EIFS exterior (cost-effective), reflective roof, and the elimination of cooling towers in favor of an air-chilled system. This provides greater efficiency and reduces the building's water use.
Additional Information Funding is through a developer joint venture, with additional government funding being sought through a future funding round. PMB was the partner responsible for securing the funding and development of the project. Layton Construction was awarded the project. LifePoint was the third partner and would operate the hospital, as it does at other behavioral health and rehabilitation hospitals throughout the country.