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
| Feb 29, 2012
Construction begins on Keller Army Community Hospital addition
The 51,000 square foot addition will become the home for optometry, ophthalmology, physical therapy, and orthopedics clinics, as well as provide TRICARE office space.
| Feb 29, 2012
Shepley Bulfinch selected to design new Children’s Hospital of Buffalo
The firm was selected because of their past experience in designing clinically complex facilities that emphasize patient- and family-centered care and operational efficiency as well as distinctive architectural forms for many other children's and women's hospitals.
| Feb 28, 2012
More than 1,000 have earned EDAC certification since 2009
Milestone achieved as evidence-based design becomes a top 2012 strategy for healthcare organizations.
| Feb 28, 2012
McCarthy completes second phase of San Diego’s Scripps Hospital
Representing the second phase of a four-phased, $41.3 million expansion and remodeling project, the new addition doubles the size of the existing emergency department and trauma center to encompass a combined 27,000 square feet of space.
| Feb 28, 2012
Griffin Electric completes Medical University of South Carolina project
The 210,000-sf complex is comprised of two buildings, and houses research, teaching and office areas, plus conference spaces for the University.
| Feb 22, 2012
CISCO recognizes Gilbane for quality construction, design, and safety
The project employed more than 2,000 tradespeople for a total of 2.1 million hours worked – all without a single lost-time accident.
| Feb 14, 2012
The Jackson Laboratory announces Gilbane Building Co. as program manager for Connecticut facility
Gilbane to manage program for new genomic medicine facility that will create 300 jobs in Connecticut.
| Feb 13, 2012
WHR Architects renovation of Morristown Memorial Hospital Simon Level 5 awarded LEED Gold
Located in the Simon Building, which serves as the main entrance leading into the Morristown Memorial Hospital campus, the project comprises three patient room wings connected by a centralized nursing station and elevator lobby.
| Feb 13, 2012
New medical city unveiled in Abu Dhabi
SOM’s design for the 838-bed, three-million-square foot complex creates a new standard for medical care in the region.
