Empowering Vulnerable People Through Compassionate Design

Platt/Whitelaw Architects Designs Behavioral Health Facility in San Diego’s East County

A sneak peak at this article:

Platt/Whitelaw Architects designed the East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit in El Cajon, a 13,845-square-foot, Zero-Net-Energy and LEED Gold-certified behavioral health facility created to support San Diego County’s most vulnerable populations. The thoughtfully planned space prioritizes safety, wellness and privacy through calming interiors, access to nature and sustainable design while meeting the specialized security requirements of a crisis care environment.

In 2018, the County of San Diego committed to increasing its focus and outreach for behavioral health services. As part of this effort, we’re proud to help the County provide for some of San Diego’s most vulnerable populations.

Platt/Whitelaw Architects’ expanding portfolio of health and human services design work includes, among other uses, substance use residential treatment services, also known as SURTS, and crisis stabilization units (CSUs).

We’ve written previously about our Oceanside CSU project and Golden Hill House. Now, we have another project wrapping up that will help people grappling with mental health.

East Region CSU

For those experiencing a crisis, being taken to a jail or hospital may not constitute an appropriate level of care. Going to a community-based setting that has been specifically designed and staffed as the first line of intervention will likely yield better results in the short and long term.

Platt/Whitelaw is fortunate to have designed its fourth crisis stabilization unit for the County, first in Hillcrest, Oceanside and National City, and now in East County – the East Region Crisis Stabilization Unit. Our whole team is inspired by the chance to positively impact a sector of society that’s hurting.

Once home to a bank building, a now-vacant lot in El Cajon is getting a new lease on life as the East Region CSU. We designed a new, single-story, 13,845-square-foot, Zero-Net-Energy and LEED Gold Certified building.

We created a space that provides a sense of safety and wellness. The main CSU space admits daylight while limiting solar heat gain. It also provides a direct visual connection to nature. Interior patient spaces are calming and relaxing. Our design includes warm colors and organic, natural patterns. Patients can be part of group activities in the activity room with access to an outdoor patio.

 

  

Although the East Region CSU is not a residential facility and doesn’t provide bedrooms, the main space will provide multiple clusters of three recliners each. The clusters will have individual partitions to create a sense of privacy. This will give the client an opportunity to rest in a safe environment.

Creating a space that provides a sense of wellness and safety while maintaining the security measures needed for a crisis facility is always a challenge. Nurses need to have a direct line of sight to clients. Ligature resistant accessories are required for the crisis stabilization area, and they are usually not attractive accessories. To counteract stress the restraints may produce, we’re integrating green walls, custom art and materials that create a calm environment.

The project site is divided by an alley, which represented some challenges with parking and ADA path of travel. We were able to reduce the number of PV panels located at the parking lot by maximizing the number located on the roof. This gave us an opportunity to add landscape areas at the parking lot while maintaining our path of travel to the building.

Also notable is our team’s approach to plumbing fixtures. Traditionally, a facility of this type would have stainless steel toilets, sinks and faucets. Instead, we found a way to use fixtures and finishes reminiscent of residential or high-end office spaces. We did this while still maintaining the safety required for a CSU.

Dedication of the East Regional CSU is estimated for April 2026. Our Platt/Whitelaw team on this project includes Naveen Waney, Peter Soutwood, Yolanda Velazco and James Mason. Our subconsultants include: Turpin & Rattan (MPE) Nasland (civil engineering), aark engineering (structural engineering), KTU+A (landscape architecture), STOK (sustainability) and Tanner Engineering (photovoltaic design).