Our WorkMaryvale Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital

Design Brief

A|r partnered with Valleywise Health to address a critical gap in secure behavioral treatment beds in West Phoenix/Maricopa County. Through this collaborative redevelopment, a 1970s-era acute care hospital was reimagined and transformed into a modern emergency psychiatric treatment facility, expanding access to essential behavioral health services in the region.

Working within an accelerated 12-month timeline, A|r guided the project through essential patient-safety criteria, behavioral health best practices, and rigorous architecture and engineering standards. The design reorganized the existing hospital around a central observation hub, providing clear sightlines to patient rooms and shared activity areas. This configuration enhances safety by improving visibility, reducing blind spots, and enabling rapid staff response, while creating a secure, dignified, and therapeutic environment for patients, staff, and families.

The renovation updated 192 inpatient behavioral health beds across two nursing units, each with 24 beds per floor. The former emergency department was repurposed to create 30 behavioral treatment beds, and a new emergency department was established to expand medical services. Additionally, the existing ICU was converted into 16 observation beds for patients awaiting discharge or transfer.

A|r collaborated closely with Valleywise leadership and care teams to rapidly assess treatment needs, reconfigure clinical spaces, and coordinate construction on an active healthcare campus. The resulting facility transformed a sterile hospital environment into a warm, residential, therapeutic healing environment. Its success set a new standard for secure inpatient care in the Phoenix region and has since led to additional patient safety improvement projects across other Valleywise Health facilities.