The project: Broughton Hospital is a new 479,000-sf, four-story behavioral healthcare facility located in western North Carolina. Designed to replace a collection of outdated campus buildings dating from the 1880s to the 1960s, the hospital serves the region’s 37 westernmost counties. The new facility consolidates mental health services into a modern, centralized campus that meets current building codes and the operational standards of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The goal: The goal of the project was to modernize behavioral healthcare infrastructure by replacing obsolete facilities with a single, state-of-the-art hospital that could support a full spectrum of behavioral health services. Key priorities included improving patient safety, providing a therapeutic environment, and ensuring operational efficiency across various patient populations and treatment types.

The design: The facility is constructed on a steeply sloped site and incorporates a combination of concrete masonry bearing walls, pre-cast hollow-core floor planks in patient care units, and a structural steel central circulation spine. The design features several treatment malls, landscaped courtyards, and dedicated spaces for specialty care. Interior departments include a fully equipped laboratory, pharmacy, dental, and radiology suites, as well as therapeutic amenities such as a living skills kitchen. A central utility plant and separate landscape building support the hospital’s infrastructure needs.

The outcome: Broughton Hospital now provides 382 beds for a diverse patient population, including acute, geriatric, medical, adolescent, forensic, and long-term behavioral health care. The new facility consolidates services into a cohesive environment that emphasizes patient dignity, natural light, and therapeutic design.