George Washington University Hospital
Who gets excited about going to the Hospital? Your DC NOMA Chapter that's who! On July 10th the group took part in a tour, lead by Architect Michael Kang of the SmithGroup, of what the George Washington University promises as the most technologically advanced hospital in DC.
Like the 1948 GWU Hospital, the new 371 bed hospital sits at a point tangent to Washington Circle and adjacent to the old structure. The building slides into the site allowing the site to shelter the northern end while the grade gradually diminishes south to reveal the main entrance, directly above the Foggy Bottom Metro Station.
The conditions of the site imposed several challenges on the architects. One challenge included effectively programming spaces to create an efficient traffic flow among departments, between the Emergency Department and Ambulance drop-off zone, and the circulation of traffic around the site. However, the greatest of these challenges arose in constructing a Hospital, home to procedures susceptible to even the slightest vibration, above a metro station.
Like the almost 8'-0" lighting elements hung from the facade, many of the other oversized features appear in perfect harmony with the building. Typically, the design of hospitals reflect the apprehension that many designers have about controlling the amount of natural light into the building while dancing with the desire to create naturally well lit space for both the patients and the visitors. However, in the design of this building no such apprehension appears. In both the patient rooms and the pre-natal unit natural light enters the space without creating a nuisance or detriment those in the space. The interiors designed by HKS provide nicely oriented spaces, a drum shaped lobby which feels far form that of a hospital, and waiting spaces which take advantage of the surrounding views and natural lighting.
The Washington DC Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects wish to thank the SmithGroup for this tour. For more information about this project please visit http://www.gwhospital.com/p362.html
