Prefabrication at Scale: CLADLOK Modular Panels at the Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital

Building Modern Space for Mental Health Care

Michigan has made a long-overdue investment in modern behavioral health infrastructure with the construction of the Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital in Northville, Michigan. Located on the former Hawthorn Center site in Northville Township, the new facility will replace both the aging Hawthorn Center (opened in 1956) and the Walter P. Reuther Psychiatric Hospital (opened in 1979), consolidating services into a single, state-of-the-art campus designed to serve adult, adolescent, and pediatric patients.

Made possible by a $325 million state budget allocation, the new hospital represents a major leap forward in how psychiatric care environments are designed—prioritizing safety, dignity, access to daylight, and connection to outdoor spaces. The 400,000+ square foot campus spans more than 40 acres and is organized into distinct patient “neighborhoods,” with secure courtyards, shared community spaces, and amenities that support long-term recovery.

“We are excited to be able to provide Michigan families in need of inpatient, behavioral health care a new state-of-the-art hospital in southeastern Michigan,” said Elizabeth Hertel, Director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “The modern facility will allow MDHHS to continue providing quality, compassionate care to both children and adults.”

A Fast-Tracked, Highly Complex Build

The Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital is also one of the most complex construction projects currently underway in the state. Design began in December 2022, followed by abatement and demolition of the existing Hawthorn Center in September 2023. Earthwork commenced in January 2024, steel erection began in July 2024, and trades were stacked aggressively to maintain schedule on a compressed design-build timeline.

“What we’re building here is going to be such a great leap forward in what the state offers in terms of mental health facilities,” said Andrew Miller, Project Executive at The Christman Company. “We talk all the time about what a positive impact this is going to have on the mental health community.”

With completion targeted for June 2026, the project demands precision, coordination, and construction strategies that reduce risk while maintaining quality across a massive footprint.

Prefabrication as a Schedule and Quality Driver

To meet the project’s demanding timeline and performance requirements, The Christman Company leaned heavily into prefabrication strategies, using parallel construction paths to improve safety, workflow, and predictability.

“At Christman, we’re always looking for better ways to provide value to our clients in terms of schedule, quality, and cost—and prefabrication is a key way that we do that,” said Andrew Miller. “By prefabricating elements and pulling parts forward in the job, we’re defining scope and budget earlier, which provides cost certainty to the owner.”

This approach extended to both interior and exterior building systems, including the use of CEI Materials’ prefabricated CLADLOK® Modular Panel System Signature Flat Series.

“Prefabrication provides a parallel path of construction allowing a lot of the work to be done in a manufacturer-type setting where it’s safer for the worker and provides an overall better quality product,” added Brian Crumm, Senior Superintendent at Christman.

CLADLOK® at Scale: CEI’s Largest Modular Panel Installation

For large-scale healthcare and behavioral health facilities, prefabricated modular façade systems provide a critical advantage—allowing envelope scope to advance in parallel with structural and interior trades while maintaining consistent quality and repeatability across thousands of square feet.

The Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital represents CEI Materials’ largest CLADLOK® installation to date, with nearly 35,000 square feet of prefabricated modular panels incorporated into the building envelope.

The prefinished 0.063” CLADLOK® panels in Silversmith, were selected to support the project’s goals of durability, consistency, and efficient installation—critical factors on a site of this size and complexity.

Prefabricated offsite and delivered ready for installation, CLADLOK® allowed façade scope to move forward in parallel with other trades, helping maintain momentum on a tightly sequenced schedule while ensuring high-quality fabrication and repeatable results.

“Prefabrication is a win from every perspective,” said Crumm. “It provides better conditions for our workers, improves workflow on site, and delivers greater cost and schedule certainty for our clients. It’s become the new standard for construction at Christman.”

Installed by Cass Sheet Metal, the CLADLOK® system integrated seamlessly into the broader façade strategy developed by Integrated Design Solutions (iDS), balancing performance requirements with a refined architectural expression.

Why CLADLOK® for Behavioral Health:

·       Factory-controlled fabrication improves consistency and quality

·       Modular installation supports safer, more efficient jobsite conditions

·       Predictable sequencing helps reduce schedule risk on stacked-trade projects

·       Durable finishes and detailing support long-term performance in demanding environments

Designed for Care, Safety, and Community

Beyond scale and schedule, the Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital is defined by its patient-centered design. The campus includes:

• Separate, secure living and treatment areas for adults and children
• Direct access to outdoor courtyards and recreation spaces
• Shared administration, food service, and community amenities
• Anti-ligature design strategies integrated throughout the facility

“The facility has a thoughtful design, and there are so many details centered around benefiting patients and keeping them safe,” said Keith Berry, Senior Project Manager at Christman. “When we walk away, this building is going to mean a lot to the patients and staff.”

Targeting LEED Gold certification, the project also incorporates one of the state’s largest geothermal systems, with more than 350 geothermal bores supporting efficient heating and cooling.

Building Forward

For CEI Materials, the Southeast Michigan Psychiatric Hospital exemplifies the role prefabrication and modular façade systems can play in delivering complex, mission-driven projects—where schedule certainty, quality, and collaboration matter as much as aesthetics.

As Michigan continues to invest in modernizing its mental health infrastructure, CEI is proud to contribute to projects that support care, dignity, and long-term community impact through thoughtful fabrication and execution.