AP Offers Behavioral Health Construction Methodologies

We want to continue our discussion on AP’s longstanding partnership with Acadia, which is wrapping up construction on its 106-bed expansion project for Cross Creek Hospital in Austin next year. We shared details on the behavioral health needs in Texas, as well as specific projects in the works in Part 1 (link here).

Now, we want to talk more about how AP is helping Acadia meet the needs of Texans in the mental health realm.

Through our longstanding partnership with Acadia, I attend continuing education conferences to learn about the latest technology and resources in their markets. Our team recently attended one in San Antonio for another deep industry dive.

We meet internally three or four times a year at Acadia headquarters in Nashville to discuss its prototypes and see how we can help from a pricing and constructability perspective. We look at upcoming builds to determine ways to continue improving patient safety while keeping projects profitable at the same time.

Through our medical facility construction experience, specifically behavioral health, we have seen improvements in the products used in these facilities. A good example is the panic button system, which shifted from hard-wired and conduit-based to battery-powered and remote, which makes it more effective, cost-efficient and easier to install.

Over the past five years, we’ve seen a move toward modular construction. It may not be the entire patient unit, but bathrooms have been transformed into pod construction by Alabama-based BLOX. Last year, we also explored pods being used in the Phoenix and Orlando markets. We went to Phoenix to visit the warehouse and look at the outside panels. We will likely recommend using the modular bathrooms, which provide a schedule and quality advantage because these will be inspected at the shop. Constructability and logistics are improved.

Modular construction, the mass production of a specific product in how it’s manufactured and assembled, is a big differentiator because it provides better quality control measures. Future Acadia developments are currently planned on a modular construction basis with prefabrication processes. We are looking at two suppliers for these. On our site visits, we assessed the use of BLOX and how it might work well in these projects. Additionally, we examined how fabrication, assembly and transportation might work, as well as their capacity to fill those needs.

It’s through shared research efforts and teamwork that AP has built our relationships with companies like Acadia. We are more than a construction company; we are a trusted advisor. For years, AP has been an industry leader in building high-quality behavioral health facilities. AP also completed two inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in Arlington, Texas, and Plano, Texas, for Reunion Rehabilitation Hospitals.

In Central Texas alone, AP began an expansion in spring 2025 of Methodist Landmark Hospital’s emergency room in northwest San Antonio, which will allow the hospital to better accommodate the growing number of emergency cases, improve patient flow, reduce overcrowding and enhance the overall quality of care. Simultaneously, AP is constructing Heritage Oaks Dental Office in downtown Marble Falls, part of a 1.8-acre medical center featuring two new office buildings, including a 14-room dental facility and additional space for an oral surgery center, set for completion in December 2025.

AP’s specialized expertise in both planning and building state-of-the-art medical facilities makes us a great partner. We understand the structures and specialized design and equipment. With Acadia, in particular, we take an active role in driving project planning, design coordination and construction execution. They have the expertise to provide treatment, and we have the experience and knowledge to build the facilities. I can’t wait to see Cross Creek welcoming more patients and their families on their path to wellness.