HCM led a multi-disciplinary team in the design of this new $268 million replacement hospital for Western Maryland Health System (WMHS). The first three levels of this 275-bed, seven-story, 582,866 sf hospital are devoted to diagnostics and treatment departments, with the upper floors functioning as an inpatient tower.
For maximum patient convenience, the main lobby provides immediate access to outpatient services. The design also enhances staff efficiency through features such as charting alcoves that complement nurses’ stations. Mechanical systems are concealed and centralized on the fourth floor, optimizing HVAC delivery. The building also includes 18 surgical suites, an emergency department, an ICU, a CVU, pediatrics, laboratories, a pharmacy, a café, a chapel, and a healing garden. In addition to managing the team, HCM provided site planning and all phases of architectural design.
The hospital was surveyed by the Joint Commission and only one, very minor issue was reported on the building design and construction related to documentation of the fire code on a single pair of doors. This was considered a remarkable achievement by the owner, WMHS, on a nearly 600,000 sf new facility.
The extremely tight site features the characteristic sloping terrain of the mountain region, while offering the best opportunity to create a multipurpose healthcare campus.
Efficiency and the consideration of travel times mandated the need to keep the footprint from becoming a big dark block. In developing the hallways, which can become wide and deep, HCM organized the hospital in an L-shape in the podium itself, which provides more perimeter, and more opportunities to bring light in and shorten paths of travel.
The project was designed with sustainable principles in mind; however, LEED certification was not a goal of the project. Sustainability was a consideration related to construction, materials, and site design. The design team and owner chose sustainable solutions as much as possible within the constraints of budget and program.
