Access to specialized behavioral health treatment for adolescents is a key consideration in public healthcare infrastructure development. Gilbane Building has completed the South County Academy in Exeter, Rhode Island, delivering a 16-bed residential treatment facility designed to keep young patients closer to their families and communities.
Developed in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), the 35,000-square-foot facility is located on a 17-acre site at the Ladd Center. It serves girls ages 13 to 18 and provides an in-state alternative to out-of-state residential treatment.
The facility combines two eight-bedroom residential suites with clinical areas, staff workspaces, classrooms, a media center and family visitation spaces.
Additional interior features include private family dining areas, group living rooms, art, science and music classrooms, a media and recording studio, a fitness room and nursing support spaces. DBVW Architects designed the building as a psychiatric-light residential environment with a home-like layout.
Outdoor amenities include landscaped areas, a healing garden, playgrounds, basketball and multipurpose courts, a sports field and other recreation spaces.
The project also incorporates an all-electric building system supported by geothermal wells, integrating energy-related considerations into the facility's design.
Gilbane worked with DCYF and other project partners to deliver the specialized residential environment, which combines safety, clinical care, education and family engagement requirements.
The project adds capacity to Rhode Island's adolescent behavioral health infrastructure and is intended to reduce the need for young patients to receive residential treatment outside the state.
Why It Matters
The South County Academy demonstrates the role of specialized construction in expanding public healthcare capacity. For construction contractors and public-sector owners, the project highlights the coordination required to deliver facilities that integrate residential care, clinical services, educational functions, recreation and energy-efficient building systems.
Source: Gilbane.
