While this may have been an architectural advancement at the time, it posed a present day challenge. Building codes for steel did not exist at the original time of construction, so Ohio University had to send steel samples to the lab for analysis in order to determine what modern support technology was needed to meet code and make the museum structurally sound. Demolition crews also discovered that some walls were two feet thick with very elaborate ventilation work, evidence of the Kirkbride Plan used to design the building, which called for open, airy spaces not only to comfort and soothe patients but also to ensure proper ventilation. The Ohio Legislature passes an act to build an asylum in Southeastern Ohio and creates a board to oversee the site selection. The site in Athens is selected.
Construction begins almost immediately.
The architect is Levi T. Scofield of Cleveland, and the general contractor is local builder Henry O'Bleness. While the architectural style is High Victorian Italianate, the design follows the Kirkbride plan. This plan features a central structure with offset wings on both sides to create quarters for male and female patients. Each ward was enough out of line so fresh air could reach it from all four sides and it was not under observation from other wards. Essential to the plan was solid and comparatively expansive construction of stone and brick.