Brattleboro Retreat Patient Courtyards

The Brattleboro Retreat, a mental health and addiction care facility, approached Stevens & Associates with the need for an outdoor courtyard space for its high risk patients.

S&A provided planning and conceptual design services for the requested courtyard, as well as an overall master plan for the campus that ties together the various outdoor areas, including the addition of three courtyards, while maintaining the traditional aesthetic of the historical campus.

The overarching goal of the project was to provide a safe, secure, and inviting environment for the patients and the staff.

The initial courtyard is situated with access from the cafeteria, supplying two areas of outdoor seating for the patients and the employees while enclosing a sizable space with a secure, traditional brick and iron wall. The courtyard is located away from the central green space of the campus to maintain the classical appearance of the historic architecture, and improve upon the appearance of the landscape by converting approximately 20,600 square feet of paved roadway into walkways and green space.

Pedestrian safety and circulation is a high priority of the campus design, with the addition of traffic calming elements, approximately 1,700 linear feet of pedestrian walkways, and handicapped accessibility throughout. The client was also supplied a thorough cost estimate for the construction of the design.