BENTON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BUILDING RENOVATION

Cranston, RI

Role
Architect
Interior Designer

Type of Construction
Full Building Renovations

Size
28,050 SF

General Scope of Project
After completing a risk assessment for various behavioral health hospitals on the John O. Pastore campus, the State of Rhode Island asked our team to begin developing renovation plans for the Eleanor Slater Hospital – Roosevelt Benton Building. The Benton Building consisted of transforming 28,050 SF of what was a juvenile detention center into five wards of a new psychiatric hospital. The wards included Intake/High Risk, Intensive Treatment, Men’s Forensic, Women’s Forensic and Step-Down Clinical. Due to the severity of each patient’s case, n|e|m|d set a goal to achieve a feeling of warmth and calm to aid in the everyday life of each man and woman that called Benton their home. Extensive research was completed by the design team to find the best colors and imagery, as well as furniture and overall layout to benefit the patients.
A major challenge with this project was the accelerated timeline. n|e|m|d worked closely with the State of Rhode Island to make sure no details were forgotten and that the design intent and program needs were fully met. It was extremely important to keep an open line of communication with the State of RI so that there were no setbacks, and open communication was easily achieved. In 2018, construction was successfully completed in approximately six months from design to completion through the integrated project delivery system.