The brand-new home of the Menninger Clinic — tucked behind the Fiesta on South Main south of the Loop, just east of South Post Oak Rd. — has only 15 more beds than the facility it’s been leasing from Metro National at the corner of Gessner and Kempwood in West Houston for the last 9 years. Plans from 5 years ago to build a significantly larger facility closer to the Texas Medical Center with enough space for 24 additional psychiatric patients were scaled back — and the project delayed — because of fundraising difficulties. But among other improvements, the new place should feel a whole lot more open. At 50 acres, the new $65 million campus is 36 acres larger than the current one, and features 650 trees. The buildings, designed by Kirksey Architecture and just completed by Tellepsen Builders, mimic a Frank Lloyd Wright-flavored Prairie style, but apparently without any of those annoying low ceilings.
***
Also on hand for exploration while patients and their doctors work to overcome whatever psychiatric issues sent them to the 161,000 sq.-ft. facility: a meditation garden, a 2-D labyrinth, a chapel, a gym, a saltwater pool, and a sand volleyball court.
Plus there’s this nice cafeteria:
The Menninger Clinic was founded in 1919 in Topeka, Kansas. It moved to Houston in 2003 after becoming affiliated with the Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. Patients will begin moving into the new facility at 12301 S. Main St. at the beginning of next month.
- Sneak peek: New Menninger Clinic Mental Health Epicenter redefines the status quo [Culturemap]
- Menninger’s new clinic scaled down, but moving forward [Houston Business Journal]
Photos: Menninger Clinic
Watched this go up for the past year it really is a beautiful facility although the area around it leaves much to be desired. Hopefully this facility will spark some re-development of the area.
Well done Merringer!
Why such large beds? Couples therapy?
I’ve had occasion to visit friends in a few psych hospitals. Depression is a bummer.
Even a ‘nice’ facility near Galveston had a single twin bed in each room, nothing like this place.
You’d have to be crazy not to like that place. ;-)
It’s very nice. Of course the astronomical rates they charge patients ensures this would be no slouch of a facility.
The Topeka campus was much nicer, and a far better setting. I had some relatives that worked there, and it was a beautiful place. Hard to get to though, since Topeka is one of those state capitals that doesn’t have an airport.
Really bad location hard to get in & out of also the area around it is not the safest in town. They must have got good deal on the land if I was picking for a spot to build this place I would have looked else where
I don’t understand the questions about location: they’ve obviously chosen a spot near the TMC, but with lots of land available to make the outdoor areas they wanted. And yes, relatively affordable. A smart decision. South Post Oak isn’t pretty, but the neighborhoods in the area, like Willowbend/Willow Meadows are nice. Plus this is near the Willow Watering Hole–nice to have more extended green space nearby; good for birds etc.