For the last 10 summers, people in the Appalachian mountain region of Southwest Virginia have traveled great distances to seek dental care.
To meet a growing need for care in the area, Wise County conducted a legislatively mandated feasibility study. The study led to the 2008 General Assembly funding for construction of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Dental Clinic.
Project leaders from VCU and Wise County sought and selected a suitable site for the clinic, solicited and reviewed proposals from architectural firms, and selected HKS Architects and Thompson & Litton to design the new facility.
The 7,575-square-foot clinic is designed to house 18 patient rooms with a separate housing facility made up of six, two-bedroom apartments located directly behind the clinic.
An important goal of the project was to approach the design and construction with a mindset toward sustainability.
VCU president Eugene P. Trani signed a national compact among college presidents in 2008 to address global warming by working to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions on campuses. Trani also signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, an initiative to reduce global emission of greenhouse gases by 80% by midcentury to avert the worst impacts of global warming.
“VCU has committed to ensuring that the highest level of sustainability is met for all facilities,” said Dr. Ron Hunt, dean of VCU’s School of Dentistry. “When developing the building, we investigated features such as geothermal heating and cooling, solar electrical power generation and advanced water recycling, and wastewater treatment systems.”
Just recently, the university unveiled the Walter L. Rice Education Building, housing lecture and laboratory rooms for classes. The building is designed with a goal of a LEED platinum rating, the highest national certification level.
The VCU Dental Clinic is seeking a LEED Silver certification by the United States Green Building Council (USBG), earning credits toward certification by utilizing principles of design and construction means and methods that will create a healthy workplace, maximize energy efficiency, and minimize negative effects on the environment.
These initiatives, combined with a fundamental understanding of the site’s access, topography, and view sheds, inform the development of site, stormwater design, and heat island effect. A natural bio-swale running parallel to the clinic’s long axis will not only capture at-grade stormwater runoff, it will also receive rain water captured by a low-maintenance green roof. This green roof will provide seasonal color and enhance the visual connection between building and landscape.
Patients are drawn into the site from the main road by a naturally landscaped and terraced garden, prominently featuring the sustainable water collection systems of the site. As visitors walk from parking areas along tree-lined walkways to the building entrance and into an open sunlit reception/waiting room, patients are introduced to the clinic’s style and the idea of patient-focused service.
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