VA Sheridan Healthcare System Expansion & Renovation

The first floor of Building 71N at Sheridan Wyoming Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has been operating as the primary care unit in its current configuration since it was built in 1989. Additional services and staff have been added over the years, and the patient load has increased.

The design team from the Seven Generations Architecture + Engineering (7GAE) | Alliance Consulting joint venture provided drawings to remodel 12,000 square feet of existing space to bring it up to current standards and add an additional 10,000 square feet of space. The expansion will provide more space for specialty clinics and providers, as well as classes for group sessions, patient education and overall health and wellness. The newly expanded space will allow the MRI suite to be located within the building and women’s healthcare services to be expanded.

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This project will enable medical services to more fully align with the Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) model healthcare delivery, allowing for greater interaction among various medical disciplines and staff.

The VA is anticipating a future second-floor expansion above the addition so the team had to keep that in mind during design. The team was also successful in providing more examination rooms in the design than originally anticipated, allowing the VA to provide services to more veterans at once.

A blast analysis was also performed, which resulted in modifying the addition and making design alterations that deployed passive distance-related protections. By controlling the distance between vehicles and the building, the team was able to reduce the overall project cost. Interior glass and the exterior façade were also designed to be blast resistant.

Sustainable design will be another important factor. The facility will be designed to reduce fossil fuel-generated energy consumption by utilizing energy-efficient HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, and installing energy-efficient doors and windows.

The design team will maximize energy conservation and efficiency by utilizing natural daylight, installing highly efficient lighting systems with occupant controllability, purchasing Energy Star rated equipment and appliances, and creating thermal zones for improved zone-level control. The overall goal is to reduce energy usage by 20% from the previous year. Construction and demolition waste will be reduced by 50% and adequate recycling locations will be provided throughout the building. The project will also use materials with low or no VOCs to reduce offgassing of harmful chemicals during occupancy.