The only acute care rehabilitation hospital in the Coachella Valley, The Rancho Mirage Rehabilitation Hospital provides treatment in an intimate, spa-like environment.

After a previous developer left the project, the partially-built facility was abandoned in mid-construction, and work ground to a halt. When a new operator/developer joined the project, we were challenged with adapting the unfinished shell to a significantly altered program—and with completing a substantial redesign on an aggressive timetable.

To meet this challenge, we used a fast-track approach to the redesign and agency approval process. Project changes were grouped into separate agency document packages, allowing construction to proceed on some building components while others were under review. By capitalizing on program changes from previous owners, our team also added an outdoor therapy courtyard to the demanding building program.

The completed rehabilitation hospital draws design inspiration from the traditional architecture of Rancho Mirage and the surrounding desert. References to elemental desert forms add visual interest, and private patient rooms overlook a private activity garden or the arid desert landscape.

From a half-finished shell to a sleek, state-of-the-art care facility, The Rancho Mirage Rehabilitation Hospital is its own success story—and proof that, despite myriad challenges, a brighter future is always possible.