The Mountain Lakes Medical Center is a critical access hospital designed to provide state-of-the-art health care for a rural community in Clayton, Georgia. Our design uses evidence-based concepts to encourage patient comfort, which plays a role in the healing process. The scenic location gives patients a respite and allows them to engage with their natural surroundings. Panoramic views enter the spacious guest rooms through a frame of full-length glass windows—a novel design in rural healthcare facilities. We also brought exterior textures and elements into the interior, such as wood grain headwalls that reach the ceilings. These features draw attention to the environment and inform a positive perspective, one that focuses attitudes towards comfort and ease.

By opening up to nature and welcoming it in, the space itself changes the visitor’s outlook from hospital to hospitality. With amenities like a rooftop patio, multi-purpose room, and the Overlook Café, the facility becomes a retreat. The design ensures a sense of calm and care permeates the space. For example, administrative and maintenance functions are invisible to guests.