The Old Town Recovery Center is a new half-block development for Central City Concern. SERA was responsible for the programming, architecture and interiors for the project. The first phase is a three-story health clinic that will provide integrated primary health and behavioral health care. Clinic programs focus on community-based, compassionate, safe and dignified care for low-income clients with mental illness or addiction challenges. The project consolidates the former 12th Avenue Recovery Center, a community based mental health clinic, while connecting to and expanding the “Old Town Clinic”, a primary health clinic in the adjacent Richard L Harris Building. The second phase of the project includes a future high-rise housing development above the clinic.
Conceived to facilitate cutting-edge medical practice thinking and quality patient care, SERA’s design provides a healing therapeutic environment, following the philosophy that reducing patient stress can improve patient outcomes. Four key strategies have been applied to create a therapeutic environment: reduce or eliminate environmental stressors, provide positive distractions, enable social support, and give patients a sense of control. The resulting landscaped interior courtyard, soothing waiting and treatment areas, and choice of interior finishes all contribute to enhanced emotional and spiritual wellbeing of visitors.
