North Dakota State Hospital Celebrates Beam Signing
On September 22, 2026, JLG Architects joined state leaders in Jamestown, ND, to celebrate the beam signing of the new North Dakota State Hospital (NDSH), under construction just west of the existing State Hospital.
The NDSH project, which broke ground in August of 2025, is led by the North Dakota Department of Health & Human Services and North Dakota Office of Management & Budget, in collaboration with JLG Architects as the Architect of Record, architecture+ as associate architect, Mortenson as the construction manager, and Tegra Group as owner's representative.
The 294,756-square-foot facility will replace the state's main 1980s building and several aging structures that have served the state since 1885. The new facility will create a more sustainable and operationally efficient State Hospital through the unity of multiple departments and specializations. Anticipating late 2027 completion, the NDSH will support more than 300 staff, with 140 beds in a future-ready, trauma-informed care environment.
"On behalf of the entire team that helped make this project possible, I am excited to see this reach such a significant milestone. This new facility is a vital investment in our state's well-being, ensuring North Dakotans have access to the high-quality, specialized care they deserve. This building isn't just made of steel, brick, and concrete, it is built on the hope, dedication, and determination of everyone working to improve mental health outcomes in our state."
—Mark Honzay, AIA, EDAC | Principal Architect – JLG Architects
The new State Hospital will accommodate specialized therapeutic spaces, advanced security measures, and expanded capacity to meet evolving needs. The facility also designates space for state-of-the-art psychiatric inpatient care, forensic evaluation and restoration, psychiatric rehabilitation, a Geriatric Psychiatric Unit, and the Sex Offender Treatment & Evaluation Program.
The project's "Home–Neighborhood–Downtown" model reorganizes traditional care into home-like private spaces and eight-room sub-clusters that limit disruption. The model also creates "Neighborhood" gathering and daily need areas, such as group/living rooms, laundry, and medication spaces. The "Downtown" aspect of the model refers to providing patients with access to active daily spaces like gyms, skills classrooms, therapy, barber/banking services, and clinical exam spaces.
Through the integration of biophilic design principles, the entire campus will be designed to support recovery, including six outdoor courtyards with native plantings, walking paths, open-air gathering areas, and therapeutic gardening.
Beyond world-class care, the new State Hospital will foster university partnerships and expand workforce opportunities through on-site education. The facility is slated to include an education wing, medication room simulation, mock-patient room simulation areas, an adaptable classroom, telehealth/remote support technology, and respite rooms for stress management. The overall concept gives providers and emerging healthcare professionals access to ongoing education, self-care, and recovery — all key to staff retention and recruitment.
"As both a healthcare architect and a mental health advocate, seeing the steel rise above the North Dakota prairie is an extraordinary moment. The new NDSH is more than a replacement for an existing hospital or a consolidation of fragmented departments. The project is a testament to the state's commitment to innovation and improved access to behavioral and mental health care. The JLG team and our project partners are honored to design a new State Hospital dedicated to providing a safe, secure, and more compassionate care environment, where both healing and hope flourish."
—Todd Medd, AIA | Principal, Healthcare Practice Studio Leader – JLG Architects