This new four-story, 150-bed Patient Tower/Education Center addition at Potomac Hospital replaces Potomac’s original Medical/Surgical Units and Intensive Care Unit dating back to the hospital’s founding in 1972. The addition consists of a Garden Level for support services and an Education Center, plus three floors above for patient care. All patient rooms in the addition are private and feature state-of-the-art patient care equipment, with soft colors on walls and fabrics, warm lighting, and appealing décor to create a healing environment, which has been shown to benefit patient recovery.

Each floor has a color and design palette that coordinates a river theme expressed in the floor patterns, artwork, and design. The organic interior architectural forms provide essential cues for wayfinding. The patterns and forms swoop, curve, meander, and lead one down the river’s pathways throughout the hospital.

Project category: Addition (completed March 2006)

Chief administrator: Bill Flannagan, Vice-President, (703) 670-1315

Firms: McCulloch England Associates Architects, (704) 372-2740; Huelat Parimucha, Ltd., (703) 838-8414

Design team: William D. England, AIA, President (McCulloch England Associates Architects); Barbara Huelat, Interior Design Principal (Huelat Parimucha, Ltd.); Frankie Piccard, Vice-President (Potomac Hospital); Scott Nolin, Program Manager/Owner’s Representative (KLMK); Ron Miller, Principal (Bovis Lend Lease & Twin Contracting Corp., a Joint Venture)

Photography: Peter Brentlinger; Anne Gummerson Photography

Total building area (sq. ft.): 184,275

Construction cost/sq. ft.: $213

Total construction cost (excluding land): $39,300,0000

The Garden Level houses the Hylton Education Center for healthcare education, with classrooms, audiovisual equipment, and teaching facilities. This level also includes a garden café and outdoor dining terrace, support services, loading docks, and a receiving area.

The first floor contains the Intensive Care, Intermediate Care, and Progressive Care Units. Located on the second floor are patient rooms, a Dialysis Suite, the Hematology/Oncology Department, the Infusion Center, and hospice rooms with a private family area.

The third floor has Surgical and Orthopedics Units and a Pediatrics Unit. The Pediatrics Unit features a design that continues the river theme with child-friendly details, such as a nurses’ station designed in the shape of a ship.