In support of its mission to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare services to their members and improve the overall health of the communities they serve, Kaiser Permanente (KP) developed this Mental Health Services project to bring crucial mental health services to members in the San Francisco community.

Recognizing the importance of separating different patient populations, the Pediatric & Family Services and Adult Services are on different floors. The floors were designed with unique environments for the different populations within KP’s Total Health Environment design guidelines. Working with KP’s mental health providers, the team developed the Shoreline concept, emphasizing the journey along a dynamic edge to discover moments refined by nature, with layers of translucency, reflectivity, and varying textures. As a metaphor for mental health, a shoreline is an always-changing place for discovery and is visualized in the project through dynamic edges of form, lighting, and material. Materials throughout were selected to reflect the shoreline concept. Working with the building’s existing exposed concrete columns and open ceilings provided a sense of volume. This was juxtaposed with refined finishes to establish a calming sense of place.

Translucent and reflective materials highlight the interplay between natural daylighting and indirect, ambient lighting. Daylit provider offices feature door sidelights and transom windows, allowing borrowed daylight to light the corridors.

KP has a strong commitment to the evidence-based design principle of art’s healing effect. Understanding that artwork is most effective when holistically integrated into a space’s design, the team partnered with a children’s book illustrator to create shoreline-inspired murals throughout the pediatric floor, providing positive distractions and moments of discovery. Large supergraphics of biophilic images are used on adult floors, with framed, full-spectrum color artwork infusing a sense of optimism throughout. Each piece was curated with a sensitivity to the needs of those seeking mental health services.

Photography: Dean Birinyi