In 1827, Father Joseph Chiron founded an asylum in Privas, initially intended solely for women. From this initiative would later emerge the Sainte-Marie Hospital Center, a mental health institution whose construction and rehabilitation were completed in 2025, following four phases of work over five years. The challenges of the design brief developed by AIA Life Designers addressed both the creation of architectural spaces suited to the needs of contemporary psychiatry and the preservation of the centuries-old bond linking Sainte-Marie to the city of Privas.
The project takes advantage of the site’s distinctive topography, which enables life to unfold across multiple levels. This organization develops within the existing enclosure and is structured around the Sainte-Philomène, Saint-Roch, and Chapel complex, which concentrates spaces for living and social interaction, as well as around landscaped green areas. These buildings—strong identity markers of Sainte-Marie—have undergone rehabilitation aimed at modernizing their interiors (notably through the replacement of joinery and the creation of a glazed roof to enhance natural light), without altering either their appearance or the perception of their monumentality from the outside. It is at their heart that collective life takes place: people meet in the agora, the multipurpose hall, or on the terraces. Sainte-Philomène, the main entry point for visitors, retains its role as a threshold between the city and the hospital, while Saint-Roch accommodates the administrative staff. The creation of shared spaces allows teams to meet and interact more easily.
On either side of the historic buildings are the inpatient units, which are the primary care spaces. Their lower levels house logistics services and underground parking facilities.
The upper levels are dedicated to accommodation spaces. This vertical distribution of functions ensures secure management of flows, as they remain distinct while being superimposed. Moreover, circulation across the site is facilitated by short distances between buildings.
With more modest massing that does not obstruct views but draws attention through a distinctly contemporary character, the accommodation units take the form of two pairs, each housing one hundred beds. Bringing together all services and facilities specific to welcoming sometimes unstable patients who require reassurance, they feature rooms designed like hotel rooms and opening onto green spaces. In addition to a shared garden, each unit has its own private garden.
Outdoor spaces are an essential component of the design. Their completion will take place during the final phase of construction, notably through the demolition of obsolete and unsuitable buildings. As spaces for contemplation from patient rooms and as places for walking, green areas are a fundamental link in the therapeutic journey. To avoid any carceral feeling, sightlines have been reworked and gardens carefully designed. One can walk there alone or with others, rest, converse, and reconnect—with others and with oneself.
Nearly two centuries after its founding, the Sainte-Marie Hospital Center has been reimagined through a program that serves as a bridge between past and present. A place of care, Sainte-Marie is also, beyond its function, a heritage landmark. The architectural project restores its place in the landscape of Privas and, while paying tribute to its history, firmly anchors it in the 21st century. Designed within an environmental approach, it offers the promise of effective care and the assurance of well-being, for both patients and staff—without betraying the memory of Father Chiron.
Client
Sainte-Marie Hospital Center
Project Team
Lead contractor : Campenon Bernard Dauphiné Savoie
Architect : AIA Architectes
Associate architect : Atelier 3A Architectes Associés
Engineering (all trades + cost estimation) : AIA Ingénierie
Landscape design : AIA Territoires
Operations & maintenance : Dalkia
Area
24,400 m² GFA (50% new build / 50% renovation)
200 beds and 12 isolation rooms
Cost
€43,24 million excl. VAT
Schedule
Competition winner : 2017
Completion : 2025