Fort Belvoir Community Hospital Takes Gold

Just days after the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital implemented the latest innovation in bedside care featuring smart suite technology, word came from the U.S. Green Building Council that the new 1.2 million-square-foot hospital achieved LEED Gold certification, making it the largest healthcare facility to earn a Gold rating. 

The military hospital in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, provides patient-centered medical healthcare to the nation’s wounded, active duty service members, retirees, and family members in the national capital region. 

The Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, which opened in August 2011, is the first in a new generation of world-class military medical facilities committed to creating a “culture of excellence.”

The hospital was designed was designed for the U.S. Corps of Engineers by a joint venture team of HDR Architecture, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia, and Dewberry of Fairfax, Virginia, and was built by Turner-Gilbane, a joint venture comprised of Turner Construction and Gilbane Building Company based in Arlington, Virginia.

It represents a transformation of the Military Health System as it seeks to use research to improve patient outcomes, increase customer loyalty, and achieve higher levels of staff satisfaction.  

The design carefully integrates the building with the natural environment, creating a compelling dialog between interior environments and exterior space. A “language” of healing gardens within and around the building provide an uplifting, restful, and restorative environment for patients, families, and staff. 

The building perimeter is designed to be crenellated in order to maximize exposure to the outdoors and natural light. Outdoor areas are designed to accommodate activities as well as quiet contemplation. 

The organization of the building is in three horizontal parts; a northern outpatient center with family care focus, a southern outpatient center with specialty focus, and a 120-bed central inpatient and ancillary zone. The three centers of care are joined by a generous daylight-infused circulation concourse.