Eskenazi Hospital
Indianapolis, IN
IDO Incorporated partnered with K2M and Elevatus Architecture on the interior design of several new buildings on the Community Justice Campus site, including the three-story Marion County Sheriff Administration Building and the five-story Adult Detention Center. The 777,000 sq. ft. jail has the capacity for 3,000 inmates – 500 more than the combined capacity of the old jails and the City-County Building. The new complex is a first for the city in sustainable design and construction. The buildings are the first LEED-Certified Silver structures within the City of Indianapolis municipal footprint.
The specialized components for the Adult Detention Center consist of a medical clinic including a new dental facility, 32-bed infirmary, and behavioral health services to focus on recovery and rehabilitation. Essential design features such as appropriate lighting, proper acoustics, and suitable temperatures were used in the design and space development of the Adult Detention Center. These elements promote a healthy and therapeutic environment for the inmates’ journey toward rehabilitation. Another unique design feature stemmed from the importance of positive distraction. Feeling connected to nature has been proven to reduce stress and aggressive behavior. IDO implemented these studies using colored wall panels and murals.
Pictorial murals of landscapes and other nature scenes were installed in the Waived Youth and Behavioral Health cell blocks and depicted one of four color-specific scenes: (1) blue waters, (2) violet mountains, (3) yellow prairies, and (4) green forests. Color was also used to accomplish the wayfinding exercise requested by the Sherriff’s Office. Their goal was that all residents of the building understand what area of the jail they are in by the above-stated colors.
The murals led to the use of acoustical panels in an abstract function as part of the interior design of the cell blocks. In the larger cell blocks with higher ceilings, we combined the concept of nature imagery with extra noise control. Acoustical wall panels of various shapes and colors were installed to not only control noise reverberation but create a pleasant visual that instills positive behavior and imaginative thinking.
IDO provided floor plans and reviewed proofs to create all the following signage: wayfinding, life safety, egress, painted cell blocks and units, and all room numbers for the updated campus.
Working with BSA LifeStructures, IDO performed both people and furniture move management for the new Community Justice Campus. This included the consolidation of over 1,000 MCSO employees and nearly 1,500 pieces of furniture and equipment from numerous out-buildings around the greater Indianapolis area. The Adult Detention Center included specialized furniture needs such as weighted chairs, detention mattresses, and medical upgrades like a dental suite, physical therapy room, and infirmary space.
The Marion County Sheriff Administration Building also included many specialized furniture pieces such as high-density filing, gun lockers, and tactical storage. Within this building, IDO space planned and designed the administration offices, record storage, café space, fitness room, and warehouse. The colors chosen for The Marion County Sheriff Administration Building were traditional sheriff-branded hues. Beiges, browns, and oranges were primarily used with intentional pops of bold colors to add design interest throughout.
Our team participated with a broader group of designers to analyze and maximize the use of the City of Indianapolis’ existing resources to accommodate equipment and furniture needs for this monumental project. This project was completed in January 2022.
*The Marion County Community Justice Campus project engaged multiple levels and disciplines of Architecture, Construction, and Interior Design firms within the city. This led to a partnership with Elevatus Architecture on our next state-of-the-art correctional facility project in Westville, Indiana.
