Fora Health

Project highlights: Fora Health 

• Architecture firm: Holst Architecture
• Owner: Fora Health
• Location: Portland, Ore.
• Category: A
• Project site: Previously developed
• Building program type(s): Healthcare — clinic

Combining trauma-informed design and community space, Fora Health’s new treatment campus in Portland helps free Oregonians from addiction while tripling the organization's capacity. The new facility removes barriers to treatment by combining its administrative offices and residential and outpatient services under one roof for the first time.

Fora Health, founded in 1974 by the Portland Society of St. Vincent de Paul, has served more than 40,000 people over the years. In 2018, the organization contemplated selling its aging facilities in Downtown Portland, which had limited accessibility and potential for institutional growth. Its new facility serves the entire community, from low-income to private-pay patients, ensuring Fora Health’s future financial health.

The new building offers a full continuum of care where patients can receive evidence-based medical treatments and engage in activities that allow for expression and the development of healthy habits. At Fora Health, addiction is not viewed as a failure of personal willpower but rather a medical issue that requires a compassionate approach to life-saving services. Uniting its programs in one building was a critical component of the design’s integrated approach.

Purposeful integration is first found in the building’s massing, which embraces a central courtyard that offers plentiful outdoor space and creates an environment of openness and hope that advances Fora Health’s mission and contributions to the community. A gradual transition in the courtyard from hardscape to naturally wooded areas kept existing trees on the site while also providing space for activity and meditation. Inside, the central lobby’s floor-to-ceiling glass, gabled ceiling, and ethereal grand stair present a welcoming intake experience, and a serene interior palette evokes a spa-like environment. The lobby opens onto the courtyard and directs patients to the three primary program areas. A connected community room offers divisible space for fundraising events and community meetings for up to 100 participants.

Inside, the center hinges on movement, and its architecture allows people of all abilities to The new facility contains 24 beds for medical withdrawal management, 70 inpatient residential beds, and an outpatient program that serves more than 1,000 people each year. Reflective of Fora Health’s commitment to caring for the whole person, the campus also includes an art studio, group dining room, fitness center, library, and commercial kitchen. The new building also includes an elevator—a Veterans Administration requirement—allowing Fora Health to serve those living with mobility issues.