Sacred Places
J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center Garden
A courtyard overlooked by the rooms of the people who use it.
WHERE
Annapolis, MD
SETTING
Healthcare
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Anne Arundel Medical Center
HOW IT CAME TO BE
It opened at the height of the pandemic.
01
The Need
J. Kent McNew and the connected Pathways facilities provide addiction and mental health treatment for adults. Pathways has been running for 30 years; the 16-bed McNew facility opened in April 2020, at the height of the pandemic.
02
The Vision
McNew's model of treatment integrates nature through a variety of experiences, and staff and patients there deeply value the healing power of nature. The Sacred Place was to provide that element to people receiving treatment while remaining open to staff and visitors. This is a satellite campus of Anne Arundel Medical Center, home of the Healing Garden at AAMC.
03
The Transformation
The Sacred Place occupies a central courtyard overlooked by both the McNew resident rooms and the Pathways building. The bench sits centrally, adjacent to picnic tables and planting beds. Elsewhere on site the climbing wall and agility course extend the same idea into physical challenge.
WHO TENDS IT
Daniel Watkins
Firesoul, J. Kent McNew Family Medical Center Garden
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