As mental health and wellness needs continue to grow across Orange County, Be Well OC set out to create a campus dedicated to supporting the full community through a comprehensive continuum of care. Developed through a public-private partnership, the new Irvine campus was envisioned as a vital component of the region’s healthcare ecosystem.
Unlike traditional behavioral health facilities, the goal was to create an environment that felt welcoming, dignified and restorative rather than clinical or institutional. The 22-acre campus would need to support a wide range of services, including crisis stabilization, substance use treatment, therapy, consultation and wellness programming, while maintaining the highest standards of safety for both clients and staff.
The design team sought to create spaces that foster healing, belonging and human connection through a hospitality-inspired aesthetic, thoughtfully integrated indoor and outdoor environments and furnishings specifically selected for behavioral healthcare applications.
Tangram partnered with architecture firm Boulder Associates and Be Well OC to furnish all four buildings across the new Irvine campus, delivering furniture solutions that support safety, comfort, wellness and community engagement throughout the facility.
Tangram’s successful delivery of the first three buildings led to the award of the fourth building, a testament to the team’s performance, collaboration and commitment throughout the project.
The Tangram project team included:
Because behavioral health settings require specialized considerations, Tangram’s furniture selections prioritized safety, durability and ease of maintenance without sacrificing aesthetics. The scope spanned reception and waiting areas, lounges, client and patient dining spaces, private and shared offices, conference rooms, substance use treatment areas, consult rooms, adult and adolescent crisis stabilization units, group therapy and activity rooms, private and shared client bedrooms and extensive outdoor environments.
Tangram curated products from a broad portfolio of manufacturers including Arcadia, Boss Design, Davis, Encore, ERG, Global Furniture Group, Hightower, HAT Collective, IOA, Janus et Cie, Kimball, Kwalu, OFS/Carolina, Pineapple, SitOnIt, Humanscale, Spec, Stance, Steelcase, Three H, Blu Dot, Kannoa, Landscape Forms, Forms + Surfaces, Tournesol and Loll Designs.
Throughout the campus, furnishings were selected to reinforce the project’s hospitality-inspired vision. Warm materials, residential influences and thoughtfully designed gathering spaces help create an environment that feels supportive and approachable rather than institutional. Private and shared client spaces balance comfort and functionality, while therapy, treatment and consultation areas provide settings that encourage trust, connection and healing.
A standout feature of the project is the extensive integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. Gardens, walking paths, open lawns, gathering areas and outdoor lounges extend the healing environment beyond the building walls, creating opportunities for reflection, recreation and community engagement. Furniture selections throughout these outdoor areas support the campus’s broader wellness mission while helping blur the line between indoor and outdoor experiences.
