The first pediatric-focused behavioral health hospital in South Los Angeles will provide psychiatric inpatient, outpatient and urgent care, transitional housing units and primary care as a federally qualified health center.
On April 4th, HOK and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. celebrated the groundbreaking of Kedren Children’s Village for Kedren Community Health Center Inc. in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.
When complete, the $145 million Kedren Children’s Village will be one of the few pediatric-focused behavioral hospitals in the country, and the first comprehensive behavioral health facility in South Los Angeles, providing much-needed community health care services for years to come. Together, HOK and McCarthy make up the design-build team leveraging their expertise to deliver a modern, efficient and patient-centered facility tailored to the unique needs of children requiring behavioral health services.
The 103,000-sq.-ft. campus will include three main buildings – an inpatient psychiatric facility, outpatient services including primary, urgent care and pharmacy services, and a transitional housing development. The 24-unit transitional housing development is intended for families of patients receiving care, along with homeless families or individuals served by Kedren’s mental health programs and community outreach in need of temporary accommodations.
“This project represents a forward-thinking approach to pediatric behavioral health care,” said Adaeze Cadet, design principal for HOK’s Los Angeles studio. “Our goal is to create a facility that not only meets the clinical needs of patients but also fosters a sense of dignity, comfort, and community connection. By incorporating best practices in behavioral health and pediatric design, we are setting a new standard for care environments.”
Along with the main structures, the campus will feature a parking structure to address the lack of parking in the project’s location within a residential neighborhood. A physical therapy gym and an outdoor garden will provide therapeutic and recreational areas for patients to enjoy outside their treatment centers. Few facilities exist in the U.S. that provide comprehensive, integrated physical and mental health care in one facility, especially with a pediatric focus. Furthering its mission as community builders, HOK and McCarthy seek to build up the greater Los Angeles community with an accessible, safe and modern pediatric-focused health facility.
The design for Kedren Children’s Village is guided by evidence-based best practices in pediatric behavioral health, prioritizing safety, flexibility and therapeutic environments and inspired by the history and culture of the surrounding community. Drawing on the diversity and warmth of the Watts community, the exterior façade and interior design is based on a quilt representing the people and families that will receive services through Kedren in materiality and form.
“McCarthy is committed to building medical facilities equipped to provide the highest standard of patient care and services,” said Eric Halverson, project director at McCarthy. “With a long history of successful health care projects in California, we are pleased to use our expertise to improve mental health services in Los Angeles County.”
McCarthy’s design-build services include self-perform concrete, utility and drywall installation, McCarthy Mapping, parking solutions and landscape design. Uniquely, McCarthy will provide its EQUIP service, an integrated health care build approach that includes equipment planning services coordinated from beginning to end, effectively reducing delays and costs down the project lifespan due to equipment alterations.
Coordinating construction logistics in the Watts residential neighborhood provides unique project challenges, including building within a relatively small site footprint, managing proximity to active railroad tracks and minimizing noise and traffic disturbances for the local community.
“Since its founding nearly 60 years ago, Kedren has been committed to eliminating health disparities in South Los Angeles by creating access to care” said Kedren CEO Gregory Polk. “The Children’s Village will be the first of its kind in the nation, providing a full continuum of mental health care for children and youth on one campus. We are looking forward to providing these needed and valuable resources for our community.”
HOK and McCarthy are proud to team up on this project that will positively impact the lives of children and their families. The project is a continuation of the strong design-build relationship, having worked together on other behavioral health design build projects including the in-progress UCLA Health Neuropsychiatric Hospital Project. Estimated completion of the Kedren Children’s Village is in summer 2027.