The Building History of a Building: The Stanislaus County Mental Health Center

01/09/1980

Student Work, Paper

38-page paper on the design process of the Stanislaus County Mental Health Center in Modesto, designed by the Christopher Alexander and CES on the basis of a pattern language developed for a mental health clinic. Written for the Arch 278b course given by Professor Norma Evenson, part of the fulfillment of Ph.D. requirements.

Authors:

Artemis Anninou, University of California Berkeley, College of Environmental Design, Department of Architecture, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

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Content of

Academic Course

Advisor in the Ph.D. Program in Architecture 1986

University Program:

Ph.D. in Architecture

Instructors:

Christopher Alexander - Chair, Sara Ishikawa, Ruth Tringham

Enrolled students:

Artemis Anninou

Heading the committee for the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and chairing the committee for approving the Doctoral Dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture.

References

Scientific Research

Projects

Stanislaus County Mental Health Center 1970 to 1973

Modesto, CA, U.S.A.

Civic, Realized , Construction completed in 1973

Client:

Stanislaus County Mental Health Services - Dr. Hewitt F. Ryan, County Director of Psychiatric Services

C.E.S. staff:

Christopher Alexander, Murray Silverstein

Contractor:

Beuving Construction, Oakdale, California

Project cost:

$1,500,000

Design and construction process:

1) Creation of a pattern language for the new mental health center, which defined the general spatial layout and conditions required by the psychiatric services. 2) Layout on the site: C.E.S. worked intensively on the ground with the team of users; in a period of about one week, the layout of the building on the site, according to the pattern language, was completed. 3) Final drawings: The plan laid out on the site with stakes, was then recorded on paper, and the final building drawings prepared directly from this data, with few changes. 4) Users were brought in again, while final decisions about structure and materials were made.

Project stages:

Pattern language for the project by clients and C.E.S. Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Development Design and Construction Drawings done after layout

A community mental health center for outpatients and outpatient care with seven buildings, including clinics, outpatient facilities, therapeutic departments for adults, teenagers and children, staff facilities, administrative offices, gardens, courts and walkways, with total area 24,000 square feet. The key ...