Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Formally Opens With Dedication Ceremony

BETHESDA, Md. — A dedication ceremony recently marked the formal opening of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Created through the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005, WRNMMC consolidated the services of Washington, D.C.’s Walter Reed Army Medical Center to the campus of the National Naval Medical Center.

WRNMMC was successfully delivered by the design-build team of Clark/Balfour Beatty, A Joint Venture and designer-of-record HKS Architects and the initial concept design was developed by AECOM and HOK Architects. The $826-million project included approximately 750,000-square-feet of new construction, 450,000-square-feet of renovations and infrastructure improvements.

The design-build team completed all BRAC-related work six weeks prior to the mandatory Sept. 15, 2011 completion deadline. In addition, WRNMMC’s new construction received LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council earlier this year. All new construction was completed in less than 30 months.

New Construction
The design of the project’s exterior respects the art deco aesthetic of NNMC’s iconic, historic structures. New construction work includes:

• • The 560,000-square-foot outpatient America Building. This six-story ambulatory care facility is the largest outpatient building in the military healthcare system and includes specialized areas for amputees and cancer treatment.
• • The 165,000-square-foot Arrowhead Building, a four-story in-patient facility with a single-level basement. The Arrowhead Building is an addition to NNMC’s existing facility.
• • 939-car, eight-story patient parking structure
• • 1,100-car, 10-story, multi-use parking structure
• • North and south main entry gates

Renovation
The project included 450,000-square-feet of renovations to existing NNMC medical departments, often working immediately adjacent to ongoing hospital activities.

WRNNMC now stands as the nation’s premier military health facility for wounded warriors recovering from traumatic brain injury or loss of limb. The design-build team created numerous custom spaces to allow the facility to offer a complete range of medical services including surgery, critical care, musculoskeletal, neuroscience, cardiovascular/Invasive procedures, cancer treatment, endoscopy, imaging, children’s health and emergency care.

Construction activity affected all of the existing hospital’s systems, including fire protection sprinkler and alarm systems, electrical distribution systems, mechanical systems, plumbing systems, information/ communication systems, security systems, elevators and utility connections. Performing the work required extensive pre-planning, close collaboration with the owner and medical staff and rigorous attention to detail. To successfully complete the renovation without disrupting ongoing medical activities, the design-build team created unique logistics, infection control risk assessment, and interim life-safety system plans for 46 separate areas of construction activity.