New Circle Eating Disorder Treatment Center Birmingham, AL

A Space for Healing, Connection, and Restoration

NewCircle is a Birmingham-based eating disorder treatment center offering a full continuum of care – from residential to intensive outpatient programs. Their philosophy is a foundational move away from clinical isolation, centered instead on whole-person, trauma-informed care.

Our primary design goal for the adaptive reuse project, transforming an abandoned assisted living facility located on a steep site in Birmingham’s historic Highland Park, was to create a physical environment that embodies NewCircle’s core mission: breaking isolation, rebuilding trust, and restoring a sense of self. Reusing the existing footprint was a key goal, but the conditions presented structural surprises, particularly low ceiling joists that became a primary obstacle.

Our team embraced the challenge, strategically modifying the structure to carefully balance new, high-ceilinged open spaces against those where the existing lower heights were maintained. This strategy is best seen in the Teaching Kitchen and main dining area. Designed to feel residential, this focal point for nutritional education was transformed by raising the ceiling and adding new clerestory windows, making the space feel larger and brighter. A new addition houses the Art Studio—a large, flexible space flooded with natural light to provide an outlet for mixed media and pottery.

Soft woods, warm textiles, and comfortable, residential-style furnishings are used throughout the facility to soften the environment and promote a feeling of ease. Lighting plays a crucial role in the clinic’s ambiance. We maximized access to natural light wherever possible, creating bright, airy spaces that connect clients to the outdoors and the rhythm of the day.

The spatial layout honors the delicate balance between community and privacy essential for recovery, subtly reinforcing NewCircle’s philosophy of an unbroken, supportive community.

Programming | Space Planning | Interior Design | Interior Architecture | FF&E