A new 492,000-sf Veterans Administration ambulatory care facility on the William Beaumont Army Medical Center campus near El Paso, Texas will include 47 medical departments and provide brain and spinal cord injury treatment services. A design-build team of Clark Construction, SmithGroup, and HKS is spearheading the project that recently broke ground with anticipated completion in 2028.
The project will also include a new central utility plant and significant improvements to utilities, stormwater management, and parking facilities for the Fort Bliss campus. Public outdoor amenities bookend the entry canopy. To the northeast, an 18,000 sf healing garden, partially shaded by the building’s canopy, offers a tranquil space for respite. Toward the northwest, 6,500 sf of outdoor cafe seating connects to the interior canteen.
A 5,000-sf shaded staff plaza on the facility's south side connects the main staff entry to dedicated staff parking. Inside, a dynamic two-story lobby welcomes patients and their families with retail spaces and patient pharmacy flanking either side of the lobby. Radiology and pathology have dedicated spaces on either end of the first floor.
Interior design is inspired by the passage of the nearby Rio Grande River through the El Paso region. Soft, organic forms and curves at key points in the patient’s journey represent the fluidity of water, embodying the idea of renewal and regeneration on the path to good health. A rich, warm material palette inspired by the colors and textures of the desert and river trails grounds the interior design in the local community.
Indoor public spaces are oriented along the building’s northern façade to offer views of the nearby Franklin Mountains through an expansive glass curtain wall. Reception and waiting areas on each of the four clinical floors (levels 2-5) are also aligned along this northern façade to enjoy daylighting and views of the natural landscape, with staff workspaces and service spaces programmed behind clinical spaces along the southern spine of the building.
Audiology, prosthetics, and rehabilitation for traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries have dedicated space on level two, which also features specialty education rooms and administration spaces. The VA’s signature patient-aligned care team (PACT) clinics are on the third floor, with a specialized women’s clinic and spaces for mental health and substance abuse programs.
Level four features a dental suite, eye clinic, and surgical care to complement the ambulatory surgery unit and specialty ambulatory care (neurology, cardiovascular) on the fifth floor above. The sixth-floor penthouse features a north-facing outdoor staff terrace, administration space, and mechanical systems. The below-grade basement level of the health center contains back-of-house functions, including loading, laundry, engineering, and pharmacy.
The new health center is oriented to optimize environmental conservation and protection (solar, thermal, comfort, and wind), contributing to a goal of 30% energy reduction over prevailing building codes. Additionally, the building’s orientation forms a new campus entry and helps to minimize new parking areas on site, leaving a more natural landscape intact. Proposed arrays of photovoltaic panels above new parking areas will help to shade vehicles and generate energy on-site. The building is designed to exceed LEED Silver certification.
Owner and/or developer: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Design architect: SmithGroup (interior); HKS (exterior)
Architect of record: SmithGroup + HKS Joint Venture
MEP engineer: Capital Engineering Consultants, Inc. (mechanical); Mazzetti (electrical)
Structural engineer: Cagley and Associates
General contractor/construction manager: Clark Construction Group
Related Stories
| Nov 27, 2013
Exclusive survey: Revenues increased at nearly half of AEC firms in 2013
Forty-six percent of the respondents to an exclusive BD+C survey of AEC professionals reported that revenues had increased this year compared to 2012, with another 24.2% saying cash flow had stayed the same.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 27, 2013
LEED for Healthcare offers new paths to green
LEED for Healthcare debuted in spring 2011, and certifications are now beginning to roll in. They include the new Puyallup (Wash.) Medical Center and the W.H. and Elaine McCarty South Tower at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
| Nov 19, 2013
Pediatric design in an adult hospital setting
Freestanding pediatric facilities have operational and physical characteristics that differ from those of adult facilities.
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
| Nov 18, 2013
6 checkpoints when designing a pediatric healthcare unit
As more time and money is devoted to neonatal and pediatric research, evidence-based design is playing an increasingly crucial role in the development of healthcare facilities for children. Here are six important factors AEC firms should consider when designing pediatric healthcare facilities.
| Nov 15, 2013
Greenbuild 2013 Report - BD+C Exclusive
The BD+C editorial team brings you this special report on the latest green building trends across nine key market sectors.
| Nov 15, 2013
Pedia-Pod: A state-of-the-art pediatric building module
This demonstration pediatric treatment building module is “kid-friendly,” offering a unique and cheerful environment where a child can feel most comfortable.