ADULT PSYCHIATRIC OPEN UNIT &
INTENSIVE CONTINUUM FOR ADOLESCENTS

Honolulu, Hawaii

Ferraro Choi worked hand-in-hand with the Queen’s Medical Center (QMC) administration and staff on the design of this 20,000 square-foot psychiatric facility with the goal of providing a healing, cheerful, and safe interior environment.

Working within the confines of existing partitions in the Acute Care Unit, Ferraro Choi used curved soffits and walls to break up the “tunnel” effect of the long straight corridors. The addition of strong colors further offsets the institution-like envelope while providing helpful visual keys for acute patients with perception deprivations. For budget considerations, existing furniture was reupholstered and given new life using QMC’s textile program.

Carved from three patient rooms, the Occupational Therapy/Day Room was designed as one unit that could be flexibly divisible into three areas for meetings, lounging, eating, etc. Sympathetic to the existing early 1950’s architecture, new window systems were added, which now pleasingly provides open courtyard views and affords natural ambient daylight for both patients and staff.

For more information on the Queen’s Medical Center, please visit their website:
Queen’s Medical Center