Continuing their nearly 150-year legacy as a beacon of hope and compassion in their community, the Root Center for Advanced Recovery will open a new behavioral health center in New Britain, Conn., later this summer. Through a holistic, research-driven approach to wellness, Root Center presently treats more than 5,500 patients per day in its growing network of clinics across Connecticut. The New Britain location is planned as a behavioral health center, providing services for both mental health and substance use disorders.

Like many communities, New Britain has seen an increase in opioid addiction and related overdoses in recent years, with a particular strain on existing programs during the pandemic. Root Center currently operates a smaller clinic within the city. However, the new, larger facility, and more convenient location, will allow Root to expand services to a larger population and develop other healthcare initiatives to meet the eclectic needs of their patients. Root Center selected Hartford-based design firm Tecton Architects and New Britain builder T-Long Construction to complete the project.

“It was imperative for our organization to support the greater demand and need for services in the community than what our current New Britain facility allowed. Our patients and staff deserved a treatment environment that was highly conducive to ongoing recovery and professional “nourishment.” We believe our work with Tecton and T-Long Construction will provide just that – a model treatment setting in the City of New Britain, and one for which the community will be proud,” said Steven Zuckerman, President and Chief Executive Officer for Root Center.

Tecton Architects collaborated with Root Center to create an aesthetic that breaks the stigma of addiction. Throughout the exterior and interior, natural patterns, daylight and organic forms evoke renewal and provide an inviting, non-clinical environment, for individuals seeking treatment. 

Through early space planning and observation of Root’s existing operations, it became evident that the entry sequence and interior circulation were pivotal to engaging patients and elevating service delivery. “One of the first things we recognized was that there is often a lot of back and forth within the spaces – a congested flow with how people moved about the process. This was the driver for the space,” said Ernest Nepomuceno, Senior Designer for Tecton. 

The site entry begins with a covered plaza, gardens and walkway that provide protection from the elements and a soft green space, for a comfortable, nurturing arrival experience. Inside, Tecton created a central space connecting check-in with dosing, with a one-way circulation pattern and wayfinding elements to establish a sense of place and streamline the visitor process. Throughout, the design carefully balances openness and transparency with privacy and quiet, to reinforce Root Center’s mission and elevate the patient experience.

The project broke ground in January of 2021 and is currently under construction.

At the Root Center groundbreaking ceremony in January (left to right):
President of Root Center’s board of directors, Bruce Simons; State Representative William Petit; New Britain mayor, Erin Stewart; Root Center president/CEO, Steven Zuckerman; T-Long president, George Taweh; and principal/CEO of Tecton Architects, Ted Cutler (Photo courtesy of Root Center)