Project designed by our professionals while at CDH Partners.

What We Heard
Access to quality healthcare in rural communities is essential—but often limited in both experience and environment. Mountain Lakes Medical Center needed to serve as more than a hospital; it needed to be a place of care, connection, and community.

We heard the importance of creating a facility that feels approachable and grounded in its surroundings—one that supports patients, families, and staff while reflecting the culture and landscape of Clayton.

What We Designed
Perched on a hilltop overlooking Clayton, the design is rooted in connection—to nature, to community, and to the experience of care.

A central design move was to open the facility to its surroundings. An outdoor boardwalk serves as a primary gathering space, offering panoramic views and creating a moment of pause for patients, visitors, and staff.

Inside, the 40,000 SF hospital is organized to support both performance and experience:

• Clinical services—including emergency, inpatient care, surgery, endoscopy, infusion, and rehabilitation—are seamlessly integrated
• Patient rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing in natural light and expansive views
• Warm materials, like wood grain headwalls that extend across ceilings, soften the clinical environment and conceal medical equipment
• Administrative and support spaces are intentionally located out of sight, allowing the patient experience to remain uninterrupted

The result is a facility that feels intuitive, calm, and deeply connected to its setting.