Melrose Institute
St. Louis Park, MN

Melrose Institute is a world class facility designed to treat patients with eating disorders. The City of St. Louis Park and Park Nicollet asked Damon Farber Associates (DFA) to lead the master planning phase of the project to incorporate the Melrose Institute onto a shared piece of land that will be home to a potential future public facility, public trails and possible sculpture garden. DFA worked collaboratively with all parties to insure that the buildings, parking and pedestrian circulation worked together harmoniously.

Park Nicollet asked DFA to lead the site planning effort related to the Melrose Institute and to design a Therapeutic garden that would be on par with other international facilities. DFA facilitated meetings with over 20 therapists and doctors, administrators, developers, facility maintenance experts and the design team to arrive at a design that allowed for one on one therapy sessions as well as group activities for up to 15 patients. The garden incorporates a labyrinth, water feature, stone walls, comfortable seating, arbor structure, garden plots for active participation in the garden and a donor’s plaza. The facility is scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2009.