March 2012: New Projects Portfolio

Defense Department’s largest inpatient hospital completed in San Antonio

The Washington, D.C., office of architecture firm RTKL Associates has completed a new hospital tower for the San Antonio Military Medical Center in Texas. The two-million-sf tower adds more than 100 beds, bringing the fully operational facility to 425 inpatient beds with expansion capability of more than 50 beds. Financed with more than $450 million in Base Realignment and Closure 2005 funds, the tower is the U.S. Department of Defense’s only Level 1-certified trauma center with a world-class burn and eye center and a rooftop helipad. It is the DoD’s largest inpatient hospital and ambulatory service facility in the U.S. The building is designed to recycle 50,000 gallons of water a day and achieve 21% energy cost savings over a  comparable conventional hospital. The project is set to receive LEED Silver certification.