Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center Residential Treatment Facility Nordstrom

PROJECT NARRATIVE

This mood and anxiety treatment center is the first of its kind for a new division of an established behavioral health provider. At 36,000 square feet, the facility houses adult and adolescent units on the fifth floor of a high-rise building.

With a combined 36-bed capacity, each unit has a dedicated community lounge, spa bathrooms, and quiet nooks spread throughout wide hallways. Both units utilize multiple classrooms, group spaces, and a large, convertible multipurpose event room that doubles as a game room. A shared commercial kitchen and dining room sit at the center of the floor, encircled by exam rooms, clinical offices, and collaborative staff workspaces. Day and nighttime corridors are designated separately in each unit to maintain separation between age groups, and outdoor green roof spaces offer visual access to plant life, while staff have access to a private outdoor patio through the staff breakroom.

Biophilic design elements were a priority throughout the facility: sweeping images of pristine regional landscapes line the walls of the units, and ample space is provided in corridors to maintain a feeling of openness and autonomy for patients. Because of the large floor plates, natural light in interior spaces was scarce; in response, the design team implemented tunable skylights in the dining room and core space, with light temperature and intensity programmed to change throughout the day to simulate the sun's natural cycle.