University Hospital Expansion and Enclosure Consulting

Founded in 1901, The University of Virginia Medical Center (UVA) is the top ranked hospital in Virginia and is nationally ranked in ten specialties. To meet a growing demand for services, UVA embarked on a major expansion program that will increase their capacity by 50%. The project adds a new 80-bed tower, expands their interventional platform, and increases emergency capacity.

The new tower includes large expanses of glass for sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. While elegant, the glass required lightweight shading devices on the façade to limit heat gain and glare without compromising patient views. Integrated teamwork between the architect and Walter P Moore composed the high-performance curtain wall. During design development, the team studied different curtain wall system options. For each design, we considered impacts to patient experience, capital cost, energy reduction and operational savings. The impact on MEP systems was evaluated to promote energy conservation, while the shading considerations patient comfort.

Walter P Moore performed enclosure review services that included technical recommendations with respect to material selection, assembly detailing, constructability, and performance testing for quality assurance. Through our review we assisted the project team to improve enclosure constructability and performance.