Photo by Ed LaCasse

The procurement method included the selection and delivery of more than 20,000 pieces of hospital equipment.

Photo by Ed LaCasse

The $455-million facility was delivered $100 million under budget and six months ahead of schedule.

Representing a model for future military hospital development, the Clark/McCarthy-led design-build team planned, procured and installed all of the facility's medical equipment and furniture, in addition to training hospital staff on how to use the medical devices. This was the first time the Navy had relied on the contracting method. The strategy helped the team deliver the $455-million facility $100 million under budget and six months ahead of schedule.

The procurement method included the selection and delivery of more than 20,000 pieces of hospital equipment, which is typically delivered by multiple subcontractors. The approach encouraged onsite innovations. Best value determination was used for every item, which gave the Navy the opportunity to compare models, options, maintenance contracts and life-cycle costs.

"The project team had a lot more on their plate than just constructing a building," says one Best Projects judge.

The 1-million-sq-ft facility, which replaced an outdated hospital, was built to provide health care to members of the military and their families. In addition to the usual post-surgical and delivery in-patient rooms, the 500,000-sq-ft hospital has 200 procedure rooms and 10 operating rooms. There is also emergency, primary, intensive and specialty care units.

Designed and built to be LEED-Gold certified, the medical complex contains healing gardens, green roofs, a central utility plant, expansive atriums, a 170-kW solar photovoltaic power generating system, a 1.2-mile campus walking loop and a 500,000-sq-ft, 1,500-space parking structure.

The project was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The team faced a tight time line for completion. As a result, the Navy selected a design-build method, which project officials say helped deliver the hospital two to four years faster than comparable Navy health care projects in the past.

The project met with all government requirements. No rework was needed.

Judges were also impressed with the project's safety record, which resulted in no lost-time incidents during more than 2.6 million worker hours.

Key Players

Contractor Clark/McCarthy a Joint Venture

Owner NAVFAC

Lead Design Firm HDR Architeture

Architect HKS

Structural Engineer KPFF

Civil Engineer Berger ABAM

MEP Engineer TMAD Taylor Gaines; exp