Fora Health

The new headquarters for Fora Health unites their adult addiction treatment programs and administrative offices in one central location for the first time. A contemporary design with familiar forms and materials and a spa-like environment creates a welcoming, calming experience that helps remove the stigma of rehab. Spaces for residential, outpatient, and detox programs support Fora Health's philosophy of the treatment of addiction as a medical issue rather than a moral failing.

The building’s mass embraces a central courtyard. An undulating gabled roof form bridges the site’s varied context with a gesture that physically and symbolically unites the building’s program elements “under one roof." The lobby opens to the courtyard and direct patients to three primary program areas: detox to the left, outpatient to the right, and residential upstairs.

A trauma-informed design approach guided the inclusion of ample physical and visual access to outdoor space, the positioning of the reception desk to the side for a less-imposing approach, maximum openness with no blind corners nor dead-end corridors, clear wayfinding, and a serene interior palette.

A commitment to indoor environmental quality drove the selection of healthy materials and finishes, including carpet, paint, and phthalate-free LVT flooring. External roof insulation and a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) mechanical system with an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) unit contribute to the building’s energy efficiency.

The new headquarters gives Fora Health's staff an environment that best supports the organization’s mission to create freedom from addiction for many future generations of patients.

Awards

2022 Daily Journal of Commerce Top Projects, 1st Place in Health Care and Life Sciences Category

2022 Portland Business Journal, Transformer Award

2019 Portland Design Commission, Design Excellence Award