Bridges of Hope facility has history

When the Bridges of Hope treatment center opened its doors in February, many in the community were already familiar with its location. The addiction treatment center is housed on the same campus in Anderson, Ind., that used to serve as an office and recording studio for Sandi Patty, an Grammy-award winning Christian music artist.

“The building has got some history to it,” says Carl Waterman, the chief executive officer for Bridges of Hope.

While the facility is no longer used as a house of music, its existing buildings and the serene outdoor space beside a lake made it the ideal setting to become a house of healing.

Waterman says once his organization purchased the property, architects and designers did a complete renovation to transform the existing space into a functional 29-bed residential adult treatment center complete with areas for  medical detox, equine therapy, hypnotism, art therapy, yoga, 12-Step meetings and therapy rooms.

“We were blessed to find a building that suited our needs and beyond that,” says Karl Lazar, director of operations.

The former barn that housed Patty’s tour buses has now become a full gymnasium complete with treadmills, cardio equipment, free weights and a full basketball court. Lazar says the treatment center also included space for other leisure activities such as ping pong and pool tables.

Three parts

At the main building, the center removed office cubicles to create bedrooms and treatment rooms. The facility now can be divided into three parts. The first part of the building is the living quarters. Here, the medical detox bedrooms are located closest to the medical wing and nurses stations in case there is an emergency. Lazar says the only way to get to the women’s wing from the men’s wing is by going through one closely monitored hallway, which adds to the security and safety of the design.

 “We have a separate lounge that is strictly for detox patients so that a residential client may not be triggered by somebody who is going through withdrawal,” Lazar says.

The second part of the building is the shared dining, treatment space and medical wing. Because the building already had an existing kitchen, the dedicated space was refurbished to add new flooring, freezers, refrigeration and dry food storage. The appliances were also updated and some cabinetry was removed. In the dining area, Lazar says the floor plan was perfect to put in a steam table buffet and granite-topped dining spaces.

Treatment rooms in the facility include an art therapy room and music room, which also give residents plenty of space to find healing in the way that best suits their individual needs.

The third section of the facility is considered the recreational or gymnasium area that helps to differentiate the treatment center from more institutional settings.

 “I wanted it to be very all inclusive to the best of our ability and comfortable,” Lazar says. 

The walls are painted in soothing tones including grays and blues, which Lazar says are generally happy colors that might appeal to anyone.

Outside, residents can enjoy the view from the lake in one of the gazebos to connect with nature or just relax. The center also has plans to convert a former playground into a garden where clients can grow their own plants and flowers. With about 3.4 acres of property, Lazar says there is also room to expand and add additional buildings to the campus as the center grows.

Bridges of Hope has given the familiar location new life and the hope is that residents will feel the same sense of rejuvenation as they work to adopt healthier lives.

“I wanted them to walk through the door and feel comfortable. and I think a lot of that is not just the building, it's the staff,” Lazar says.