Gresham Smith was tasked with designing a functional space for long-term care at Brooks Rehabilitation Bartram Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility in Jacksonville, Florida.

With an average patient stay of 23 days, Brooks Rehabilitation sought to have an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility at their Bartram campus that would not only function as a home away from home for high-acuity patients, but also utilized both the built and natural environment to support wellness and healing. Designed to support those who have experienced a stroke, non-traumatic spinal cord injury, brain injury, or a severe orthopedic condition, Gresham Smith created a flexible, adaptable facility that provides holistic care for patients.

The inpatient rehabilitation facility features eight negative air pressure rooms, an outdoor therapy garden, two gyms, a four-bay dialysis suite, pharmacy with chemotherapy compounding facilities, bariatric patient rooms and a balcony or garden on every floor. Topping it all off is an intuitive interior design that provides distinct separation between active therapy and rest areas, a smart floor plan that improves patient safety, room for further expansion and the latest state-of-the-art technology.

Since the day of a rehabilitation patient is split into two phases—active therapy and recovery—it was important that the facility’s interior design establish the different areas and their uses. In the active therapy spaces, such as the gym and dayroom, a vibrant and stimulating color scheme, graphics and messaging are used as visual cues to enhance the feeling of movement and energy. In the patient rooms, inspiration was taken from naturalist William Bartram and his artwork, which uses a neutral color palette and imagery of the natural world, to invoke a calm and peaceful state of mind.

The site includes a therapy garden with a variety of terrains – concrete, grass, wood, stone, decking and turf – that not only promote healing and recovery by preparing patients for the environments they’ll face in their day-to-day life, but also offer fresh air and daylight. In addition, the top two floors each have their own balcony so patients can re-immerse themselves with the sounds of everyday noise.

The original plan for the rehabilitation facility called for a single story, but our team quickly realized we needed to go vertical to accommodate all the necessary spaces. The finalized design includes three stories: the first floor is dedicated to administrative space, the pharmacy, the dining area and those “back of house” services such as electrical, mechanical and storage, while the second and third floors are solely patient care spaces. By going vertical, we shortened up the distance between therapy areas, making it easier and safer for staff to transport patients between their various sessions. In addition, the new floorplan allowed for a patient room layout that enables the nurses to see directly inside, enabling safer and more proactive personal care.

Equipped with the latest technology and designed to support patients on their healing journey, Brooks Rehabilitation’s newest Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility capitalizes on the natural environment to provide a true home away from home filled with hope.

Design: Gresham Smith
Photography: Sandy Dewitt