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Groundbreaking ceremonyMark O. Hatfield Clinical Research CenterNational Institutes of Health |
The Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health will include 250 beds for inpatient and outpatient care, outpatient facilities, and research laboratories, expanding opportunities for physicians and patients to participate in cutting-edge research and scientific advances.
The Clinical Research Center is named in honor of Senator Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon. Senator Hatfield, who supported medical research throughout his career in Congress, served in the Senate for 30 years and chaired the committee on appropriations for 8 years.
The new center will connect to the current facility, which opened its doors to patients in 1953. Hallmark of the original building is the proximity of patient care to scientific labs. The new facility will amplify that tradition, providing a crucial link in rapidly moving biomedical findings in the laboratory into the mainstream of medical practice.
The building's design reflects dual priorities, accommodating the physical requirements of the latest in medical technology while providing the best, most comfortable environment for patients and clinical investigators.
Four brick wings, paired around landscaped courtyards, will flank a glass-enclosed science court. That atrium will serve as the heart and circulation hub for the new complex.
The new three- and four-story wings sweeping across the front of the existing building will allow patients and scientists to take advantage of views to the NIH's campus setting.
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, a 260-person architecture, planning, and interior design firm based in Portland, Oregon, won an international competition to design the building. The firm was selected based on flexibility of design, integration of the facility with the campus, and adaptability for the future.
Main design considerations include:
--Flexibility. The laboratory and patient-care wings have been designed for total flexibility of use.
--Planning for growth. Building systems will be housed in areas that can accommodate growth and change.
--Community. The new building will create a focal point for the NIH campus, a healing environment for patients, and opportunities for interaction among scientists.
The 850,000 square foot complex is expected to be complete in 2001.
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For more information on the Clinical Center and the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center, call (301) 496-2563 or email. Updated: October 1997 Top | Groundbreaking | CC home | NIH home |