RAC Skilled Nursing Facility
Rio Arriba County | Española, NM
Project Description
Design and construction of a new 33,000 sf skilled nursing facility.
Design Team
Formative Architecture
Status
In progress
This facility will address a critical need in the community, as there are currently no other county nursing homes.
Formative Architecture has collaborated with Franken Construction on a new Skilled Nursing Home Facility for Rio Arriba County. It will offer 60 skilled nursing beds and 12 rehabilitation beds, providing 24-hour medical care and rehabilitation services. Patients will have a safe and supportive environment to recover from surgery, illness, or injury, helping them transition from hospital care back to their homes.
The initial 33,600-square-foot, single-story phase includes 72 beds, with future plans to add two wings to the south to double the capacity. The master plan also envisions relocating Calle Chamisal to the site's perimeter, creating a unified campus where parking is directly connected to the buildings, eliminating the need for pedestrians to cross a street to access the parking lot.
The design process began with a thorough site investigation to create a master plan that ensures a cost-effective first phase. The project navigates the challenging site geometry, which is divided by Calle Chamisal.
This relatively flat site in the Rio Grande River valley offers expansive mountain views and a beautiful stand of mature cottonwood trees. Our design goal was to integrate the building program around these trees. A high wooden ceiling guides patients into a grand open lobby that directly overlooks the cottonwood courtyard. From this central "living room," patient support services and administration connect the two-patient room wings back to the main lobby. These wings are oriented to provide courtyard patient rooms and the physical therapy gym with direct views of the trees.
The project's design promotes healing through natural materials like solid pine wood boards and river rock, shaded outdoor spaces, patient room window planter boxes, and abundant natural light. The facility will include physical therapy/occupational therapy gyms and multi-use activity rooms. The design team prioritized a welcoming, residential-scaled environment to ensure patients feel comfortable on their path to recovery.
Construction is anticipated to complete in 2026.
Services Provided
Architecture
Interior Architecture
Programming
Campus master planning for future phases
Commercial kitchen planning
Environmentally Conscious Design
Renderings
Formative Architecture
Design Team
Formative Architecture
A C Engineering Enterprises
Arsed Engineering Group, LLC
RME ABQ, LLC
Bowman
Procurement + Delivery
Design-Build
Contractor
Franken Construction
Year
In progress; construction anticipated to be completed in 2026