NewPath Campus Expansion

Client: NewPath Child & Family Solutions

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

A vaulted central gathering (or "milieu") space with meadow views, a sensory room, and dedicated life-skills areas—like private showers and laundry—helps nurture resident independence.
Specialized safety upgrades with anti-ligature fixtures and discreet access controls blend quietly into the background to support daily healing and recovery.
Resilient environmental graphics and low-maintenance finishes withstand heavy daily use while maintaining a warm, homelike atmosphere.

A Thoughtful Touch: The secure outdoor play area pulls double duty as an "area of refuge" during building evacuations, keeping residents safe and accounted for during false or real alarms without feeling industrial.

Architecture|Interior Design|Engineering|Experiential Design

To keep up with growing community demand, NewPath (formerly St. Joseph Orphanage) partnered with SHP to expand its Sutton Road campus capacity by 35%. As one of the oldest child and family service agencies in the nation—founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1829—NewPath needed a space that matched its deep history of care. Rather than building from scratch, we transformed an underutilized wing into a bright, 16-bed residential cottage rooted in trauma-informed design principles.

"Designing for behavioral health is about creating spaces that wear like armor but feel like cotton—where essential safety features blend seamlessly into a warm, supportive home."

– Steve Kenat, Project Manager

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