Rochester Psychiatric Center

architecture+ has been working for DASNY on the Rochester Campus since 1983. Our first project involved the renovation of the south half of Building 2 to house a 55-bed forensic unit. This project included a secure perimeter and state-of-the-art monitoring.

Master Plan (1988) - architecture+ was commissioned to develop a master plan that would convert a 117-acre campus with a built infrastructure of over 1.3 million square feet into a more compact campus encompassing 15 acres and 500,000 square feet. The primary objective of the planning process was to provide a more humane and therapeutic treatment environment within a configuration that allowed the campus to operate at much higher staffing efficiency.

New Adult Hospital (1995) - We were subsequently selected to design the largest new freestanding psychiatric hospital constructed since 1970 by the New York State Office of Mental Health. The facility employs the “hospital within a hospital” treatment model and reflects the emerging understanding of the interaction between environment and treatment modalities. It is designed around a series of courtyards and enclosed park land that allow patients ready access to a variety of secure outdoor spaces.

The hospital, with 330 beds and 412,000 square feet, consolidates the once separated inpatient residential wards, program activities, and support services into a single building. The design has served as a model for three other hospitals in the state. It serves adult, adolescent, and forensic patients.