El Camino Hospital | Mental Health Pavilion

Project Details

Shining Light on Mental Healthcare Design

California’s El Camino Hospital Delivers on Tranquility

Challenge 

Healthcare design has been transformed in recent years, as architects have increasingly focused on creating soothing, healing environments to help improve patient morale and recovery. Mental healthcare design is even more challenging as unique patient safety needs such as human-impact safety glass must be integrated into welcoming and non-institutional environments. Both goals are beautifully accomplished at El Camino Health Behavioral Health Services Taube Pavilion (ECH) in Mountain View, California, designed by WRNS Studio, San Francisco.
 

Solution 

The safety and security of patients and staff influenced every decision throughout the facility. WINCO’s  Series 8800 psychiatric window system was used in patient rooms to allow natural light and healing views of the patient gardens and beautiful trees. The WINCO 8800 is a 4“ deep frame with a nominal wall thickness of 0.125“. The human impact sash is a hinged configuration with concealed stainless-steel hinges and multi-point locks. Because the standards for operating shades must meet "Anti-Ligature" requirements, the blinds are enclosed between the polycarbonate panes and outside lite, which provides a clean aesthetic that’s easy to maintain. In addition, the blind knob controlling the shades is recessed into the window frame. All windows are fixed in the patient rooms, so the custom-designed doors are removable within less than a minute in the event of an emergency.  

Exposure to daylight has a positive effect on patient mental and behavioral health. The ECH facility uses also uses laminated safety glass to create a warm and welcoming environment for both patients and staff, while offering the safety and security that can help set patients on the road to recovery.