Taunton State Hospital Project Receives Preservation Award

BOSTON, Mass. – The Taunton State Hospital WRAP (Women’s Recovery from Addictions Program) project has been awarded the Preservation Massachusetts 2017 Paul and Niki Tsongas Award. The project was recognized in the category: Best Use – Community and Social Services.

The Tsongas Award recognized the renovation, which includes 17,050 square feet of the historic Taunton State Hospital’s Chambers Building, a secure facility that houses women who are recovering from addiction and substance abuse. The project was successful in transforming an outdated building on an underutilized campus into a new state-of-the-art treatment and recovery facility with 165 years of history.

Project construction began on Dec. 1, 2015, and the WRAP project in the Chambers Building was open for occupancy on July 5, 2016. Fast-tracked as an emergency project, the construction phase took just over six months – an accomplishment achieved through a collaborative team of owner (DCAMM, the state’s building agency and Department of Mental Health), architect (Studio G) and builder (BOND).

Within that time period, the existing stereotypical institutional glazed block wards were transformed into a welcoming, home-like environment. Spaces were designed to give individuals a sense of control and identity. Complete HVAC and life safety systems were installed. Two beautifully landscaped courtyards with site furnishings, walks and fencing were created to give the clients access to the outdoors. Final renovation provided two new wings of patient rooms, an administrative wing, lounges, dining rooms, nurses’ stations, medical rooms and other support spaces.

The 29th Annual Tsongas Awards recognized 22 projects that demonstrate the award theme: The Power of Preservation. Winners were selected through a nomination process. Each project, along with its team, illustrated what preservation brings to communities and lives. They ranged in use from housing to educational facilities, to healthcare and community service uses, and defined preservation as a tool that utilizes the past to make a better future.