George Hawkins Memorial Treatment Center

The mission of George Hawkins Memorial Treatment Center is to bring hope and healing to the people of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes who are struggling with substance abuse. The center focuses on treating the disease as well as the whole person physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

This George Hawkins Memorial Treatment Center project involved substantial upgrades to existing facilities as well as an expansion that provides for dedicated counseling offices, a wellness and fitness room, bathrooms, expanded kitchen and dining, as well as a large conference room for group sessions and trainings. The design-build approach allowed streamlined integration of design, cost-controls, and constructability while providing innovative ways to complete the project while parts of the building are still occupied.

In the approach to the renovation and expansion of the George Hawkins Memorial Treatment Center, the design team worked to understand how the existing building was failing to meet the needs of patients and staff, what improvements were required by code, and how holistic healing should manifest for the people seeking recovery and a new life at this facility. Multiple stakeholders participated in a conceptual design process that began with a dialogue about tribal identity, cultural values, and the vision for the project based on that identity and those values.

This “first step” was crucial in helping the design-build team understand the culture, people, and place in the words and hearts of the Cheyenne and Arapaho people themselves. This also allowed a culturally responsive design to be brought to life that inspires healing and teaches the culture to those who may have become disconnected from their identity as Native American people. The center's goal is to support people who go through the 90-treatment program, to empower them as human beings, and to instill a renewed sense of pride in being Cheyenne and/or Arapaho.